


Silent Knight

by Twisted_Fate_MK2



Category: RWBY
Genre: Adventure with a Side of Shipping, F/M, Shipping, Side-Project, fun fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 33,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23485492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twisted_Fate_MK2/pseuds/Twisted_Fate_MK2
Summary: After ekeing his way through Initiation, Jaune Arc heads into Vale to relax and unwind on his own. While there, he sees a diminutive girl heckled into an alleyway by a group of thugs. What else is a knight to do but help? And what else is Jaune to do but get beat down for it? And what else is Neo to do but be amused and pay him back the only way Neo knew how... By beating him up until he got better at it.
Relationships: Silent Knight - Relationship
Comments: 15
Kudos: 64





	1. Silent Knight

XxX----XxX----XxX

Official Supporters: 

Priests, The Impossible Muffin, Xager the Chaos King. 

Adeptus, Private Wilger

Ze Nope Rope, Kaiser Snek, Snekiest Snek

Acolytes, DigiDemonLord, Cheeseberry

Initiates, Greg Gibson, Espacole

If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : https://discord.gg/2UZncAm

Second link here, remove spaces and it SHOULD work : D iscord . gg (slash) kfhkfUb

I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.

Beta : Darkvampirekisses

XxX----XxX----XxX

He brought his shield up and caught the thrust with it, but the diminutive monster slipped to the side like that had been her plan, bending back under his own flailing thrust. Her heel, sharp and pointed, snapped up and into his sternum to push him back. The same foot snapped to the side as he staggered away and forced his shield open as the woman spun, her long sword snapping back out and catching him across his cheek just under his eye before he could even raise his Aura. The cut wasn’t deep but it bled and he hissed as he retreated and the woman recovered, parasol in one hand laid across her shoulder and blade in the other, spinning in her palm like a kid might a knife.

“Son of a bitch…” Cheek stinging, he raised his shield again and locked it against his side like he’d been shown, and then charged her, slashing horizontally low enough that even she couldn’t duck under it.

Instead, she leapt over it and spun in the air, one heel and then another catching him in the face. This time his Aura was up, luckily, but it shifted his momentum and sent him stumbling to the side while she slipped behind him. Before he could turn, one of those heels slammed into the back of his knee and forced him onto it, the thin blade snapping up and pressing against his throat warningly. He brought his sword up to force it away and her parasol, now collapsed down, slipped between it and her own sword, snapping open to force his sword away.

Heterochromatic eyes blinked down at him and the girl smirked, head cocked challengingly to ask, “Give up yet?”

He struggled, trying to stand and wincing as she simultaneously wrenched his head back into her chest with the force of her blade, dug her heel into his calf, and giggled mutely at his weak attempts. Attempts that died swiftly for her rather efficient emasculation, the blonde knight wanna-be finally sighing and nodded, “Fine, fine, I yield.”

As soon as the words left his mouth she was off him and he fell forward, catching himself on the rim of his shield and the fist around the pommel of his sword. The woman he’d spent the last hour sparring with took the moment to trot around him and smile, patting his head gently before he grunted and rose. Small as she was, he towered over her, and he smiled for the little advantage. In answer, she cocked her head and snapped a hand up, the gook on the end of her parasol snagging him around the neck and letting her yank him down and steer him.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” Her brows rose and she cocked her head, tapping her chin with one hand and holding him down with the other.

“Now, now, Neo. Be gentle with him, he’s brittle. We aren’t getting paid to play with him.” A voice that was as much smarm as charm called from the other side of the small, empty warehouse that he’d been brought to for their ‘session’. Roman Torchwick, laid across an old couch with his feet up on the arm and his hat over his eyes, made a little ‘o’ of sudden realization. “Wait, that’s right… We’re not getting paid.”

“I said I was broke when all this started…” He grumbled as he straightened and the little hobgoblin trotted away to hop up on the arm of the couch beside the man’s head. Without her asking, the man reached for the bucket of popcorn sat on the floor and held it up for her to take, and Jaune sighed. “Did you actually bring popcorn to this?”

“Why, yes I did.” The man chuckled, rolling upright in a smooth motion and flicking his hat back atop his head with a finger. Smiling, he waved a hand at him and, beyond, to the rather large room as a whole. “Watching Neo manhandle you around a mostly empty warehouse is the highlight of my day, you know.”

“I bet it is...” He sighed, collapsing his shield and sliding the sword home in it now that the fight was over. The couch came with a chair, tucked into this corner of the abandoned warehouse, and he took a seat in it to rest, grumbling, “And why do I keep coming to an abandoned warehouse in the docks again?”

“Because you’re a complete and total pushover and need training or you’ll die.” Neo signed rapidly with a hand, the ability to understand that long since quite literally beaten into him by the exact same hand. Likewise, she continued, slower than she did with Roman but still rapidly, “And hey. You lasted a bit longer than you normally do.”

“A whole three seconds…”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Roman smiled, leaning back in his seat and spreading his arms theatrically, “You lasted a whole four seconds longer than you normally do. C’mon, kid, give yourself some credit.”

“Gee, thanks, Roman.” He chuckled, though, and sighed, looking around the virtually empty warehouse. 

One corner had been walled off by empty cargo containers on one side to mostly close off a little sitting area. The rest had been crammed with random detritus over the years, from old cars to wooden crates and empty Dust transport crates. Some furniture was sprinkled among the random chaos, too, from which the little sitting area’s, well, seats had been drawn. And for a couple weeks now, he’d been coming here and sparring with the little gremlin currently nibbling on popcorn.

“You know,” he started, “usually, in the stories, when the guy saves the girl from the mugger, he gets a kiss on the cheek and a thank you.”

“Normally the girl needs saving.”

“And normally, the knight in shining armor does the saving.” Roman added with a chuckle, tapping his cheek and raising his eyebrows. Jaune winced and, with the back of his hoodie’s sleeve, wiped the blood away from the already healed cut. While he did, Roman went on, “Way I remember it, the cute little thing you ran in to protect ended up kickin’ the mugger’s asses and then carried you here to rest after getting throttled.”

“How was I supposed to know that they were Huntsmen?” Or that they’d been cornering a criminal, for that matter. Not that he could judge criminals of the ‘not particularly murder happy’ varieties, given his means of getting his weapon, getting to Vale, and how he’d gotten into Beacon. 

“Still, the point stands, kid.” Roman argued simply, pointing a cigar at him with one hand while the other fished in his pocket for a lighter Neo dropped into his lap. Without missing a beat he grabbed it and flicked it open, talking around him lighting it, “You couldn’t hack it against ‘em. You barely hacked it at Initiation, way I hear it. You go out there, against real Grimm or, hell, criminals like us?”

“You’ll die boringly.” Neo signed slowly, frowning at the idea of it. The one and only sign that she didn’t like the idea, but more than enough considering who he was dealing with. After a moment she hesitated and added, “You aren’t boring. Don’t die like you are.”

“Yeah…” From her, he’d gathered that ‘not being boring’ was a pretty big compliment. Shrugging, he picked up a bottle of water from the table and took a drink. When he was done he shrugged again and leaned back in his chair, groaning as bruises were sought out and began to heal under his Aura’s influence. “A simple little ‘thanks for trying’ would have done it, though. I don’t get why you’re both spending so much time helping me…”

“You tried to help us, or, well, her when you thought we were in a spot so we’re helpin’ you.” Roman answered simply while Neo signed much the same, “It’s the way of the rogue. Always pay back your favors, even if they’re smaller than Neo.” The woman swiped at his head and, expertly, he ducked to the side and began fending her off with a hand while she tried to steal his hat. “Us criminals gotta stick together.”

“Yeah…” And he didn’t like it, but he was a criminal, he knew. Doctoring documentation to submit to a place like Beacon was a felony, with time in prison promised for those found guilty of it. “I didn’t even know that it was such a big deal when I did it…”

“Ignorance isn’t innoc- God damn, girl, just take the hat!” Roman swore again under his breath as the woman’s legs wrapped around his shoulder and she writhed, stealing his hat and pitching back to roll over the couch’s arm, spring off a hand and come up with his hat on her head. Chuckling and shaking his head at the cheshire face she gave him Roman sighed and shook his head, “You’re in it now, kid, whether you knew what was coming or not.”

“I know, I know, I just… Yeah, I know.” He just thought it was kind of dumb was all. Zero intent behind a crime, to him, spoke of someone that wasn’t a real criminal. Taking a long breath and blowing it out he stood again and gave Neo a look, smiling anxiously. “So, uh… Nineteen or nothing?”

The small woman’s face split in a vicious grin and, without turning, she flicked Roman’s hat back to him. The man caught it in one hand and pitched Hush to her with the other. Chuckling, Roman sat back on the couch and shrugged, “Looks like our little knight isn’t worn out just yet, Neo. Kind of disappointed in you, actually, letting someone like him last this long. Going soft, are we?”

The woman’s eyebrows shot up at the accusation and, slowly, she turned from Roman to Jaune. After a moment, she signed over a shoulder, pouting profusely already, “He’s gotten better, okay?”

“Not that much better, half-a-stack.” The man teased, pointedly ignoring Jaune’s desperate knifing motion over his throat, begging him to stop before a real knife went over it. “I think you like him and you’re getting soft on him because of it.” Neo didn’t argue, drawing her sword and glaring death at him instead, and Roman mouthed, ‘Have fun.’

“Oh you actual son of a- Bitch!” Neo, angry and pouting for Roman’s teasing, didn’t take it easy on him this time. 

Like a spinning top of murderous, pixi sized rage, she spun and stabbed, slamming her feet, elbows, sword, whatever she could, into him wherever she could manage it. A risky way of fighting, but then, she probably figured that he couldn’t fend her off. Which, to be fair, he really couldn’t. The little imp was too fast and agile even when she was going easy on him, much less when she was teased into even pretending to take him seriously.

A few bruises and bloody nicks later she stepped in, pressed herself flush against him and slid to the side, between himself and his shield. Hooking a leg behind his knee she pushed and he fell, the woman carried down with him. Straddling his stomach she pressed Hush across his throat and smiled, ruffling his hair playfully and then rolling back, hand pushing off the ground between his legs to carry her up and over. She landed on her feet, sauntering away without missing a beat while Jaune groaned on the ground.

Standing over him, Roman smiled and squatted, resting on his haunches, “How ya doing, kid?”

“If I had arms I would stab you...”

“I mean, you still have your arms?”

“Do I?” He lifted his head and looked and, sure enough, he had two arms splayed out to either side. Neither moved when he tried them and, groaning, he grunted, “Guess I do, yeah. Lean over here so I can strangle you, would you?”

Roman only laughed and stood to leave. Over his shoulder, he called, “Ordering pizza and beer for us. And save the ‘I’m under-age’ crap, too, you little felon. You earned at least one bottle.”

XxX----XxX----XxX

Mostly a prompt. Something I wrote whilst bored and wanting to get the ideas out.


	2. Two Perspectives

XxX----XxX----XxX

Official Supporters: 

Priests, The Impossible Muffin, Xager the Chaos King. 

Adeptus, Private Wilger

Ze Nope Rope, Kaiser Snek, Snekiest Snek

Acolytes, DigiDemonLord, Cheeseberry

Initiates, Greg Gibson, Espacole

If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : https://discord.gg/2UZncAm

Second link here, remove spaces and it SHOULD work : D iscord . gg (slash) kfhkfUb

I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.

Beta : 

XxX----XxX----XxX

“No, Jaune, Beowolves don’t scratch at trees to mark out their territory.” He nodded quietly and started jotting down the correction on his worksheet and Ren sighed, smiling good naturedly. “And neither do Ursai. The question is a trick, Jaune. You’re meant to fill in the lines at the bottom with notes about how they seem to know each other’s territory without markings.”

“How do they know they don’t mark territories, then?” Jaune asked sarcastically, easing back in the library chair and scratching the back of his neck anxiously. Jaune only got a shrug in answer and grimaced for it. Glancing towards the clock high above them on the wall, he sighed, “It seems kinda dumb to me, setting up a trap on a worksheet.”

“It’s supposed to make sure you can think critically.” Jaune gave him a little look at the implication that he couldn’t, but Ren only smiled and shrugged innocently. Moving on before Jaune could say anything, “Maybe they do mark territories, but we don’t know if they do. Or how they do, assuming that they, in fact, do.”

“Yeah, I get it. Thanks, Ren. Appreciate your help.” He sighed, scratching out his answer on the piece of paper next to his worksheet and taking notes around it. Then he set to work filling in the answer Ren had explained to him and glanced to the clock. Quietly, he murmured, “I have to get going soon or I’ll miss the last Bullhead.”

“Staying out on the town for the weekend again?”

“Yeah.” He typically did, training and hanging out with Neo, Roman, or both if they weren’t busy with their… Er, jobs. Ren’s brows furrowed, though and Jaune sighed. “You don’t like me spending weekends in Vale?”

“I don’t like the spending weekends in the warehouse district in Vale, no.” Ren answered carefully, watching him from the corner of his eye. When Jaune only grimaced and kept scratching out answers and notes from the worksheet, Ren sighed. Laying his pen on his worksheet, the man turned to him, “The girls are worried, Jaune. You spend every single weekend down there.”

“So?” He shrugged, “They’re my weekends. Why does it matter if I spend my spare days in Vale or here?”

“Spending them in Vale isn’t the problem…”

“Look, Ren, I know all about the warehouse district’s reputation.” Only so much criminal nonsense could go on in a district and it not be common knowledge. And the warehouse district outstripped that by far, infamous for some of the gangs that ran in it and in adjoining districts. “I have friends in the area, that’s all.”

“That’s such a comforting thought…”

“If you have an accusation to make, then go ahead make it.” He challenged, Ren flinching and holding up his hands in mock surrender for the fire in his voice. After a moment, Jaune sighed and began stacking up his papers to leave. Irritable but still trying to keep his bridges not on fire, he went on, “I get that you’re worried, but I’m not involved in anything bad. I just know some people that live there.”

“Good people?”

“Yeah. They’re good people.” Criminals or not, they seemed like good people, at their core. And he wasn’t exactly in the best position to judge them for law breaking. Closing his folder he took a breath and asked, already knowing the answer, “The, uh, the girls were worried, weren’t they?”

“Not just on our team…” Team Ruby, too, then. Or at least Ruby had been worried, so Yang would have been worried as a consequence. Regardless, Ren assured him, “I’ll tell them we talked and that you promised you weren’t into anything overtly bad. Don’t worry.”

“Thanks for that.” That would have them off his back, at least. And a bit happier and more comfortable besides, which was always a bonus. Standing he smiled and bobbed his head towards the clock, “I have to get going, though. And hey, at least I’m doing better at combat classes. Right?”

“You are…” Ren nodded, “And how are you managing that?”

“Well, uh… Training with my friends, I guess.” Getting pummeled into the ground more like, but the result was the same. Sliding his things into the bag at the base of his chair he smiled, pulling the clothing filled pack on and shrugging it into a more comfortable resting spot. “I met ‘em a while back and they offered to start teaching me how to fight better. Neo can be hard on me but she’s getting me back up to speed.”

“Neo?” Ren asked, leaning back and folding his arms over his chest and under a smirk. “I didn’t know it was a girl you were seeing.”

“Yeah…?” Ren’s eyebrows rose and Jaune realized what he was implying, flushing and shaking his head sharply at the idea. He was dense, he knew, but Ren was being more than obvious enough to panic him. “N-No, it’s nothing like that. Really! She- I mean, we aren’t together or anything. She’s just a friend of mine, helping me out so I don’t get eaten by a bear or something.”

“Mhm.” He nodded, “And where do you sleep?”

“At her house.” He blinked and Ren smirked, and Jaune groaned, hiding his face in his hands and shaking his head. “On her couch, Ren. Not in her- Ugh, stop chuckling! I’d have expected this kind of teasing from Nora, not you…”

“Oh, Nora will get you too, don’t worry. I’m just getting a head start.” Ren promised, shooing him away and turning back to his own assignment. “Now go on, Lover Boy. Before you miss your flight and leave your lovely lady hanging.”

“I despise you…” Jaune groaned, “Just so… So much.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Ren waved him off, smiling teasingly all the while. “Have fun and do your homework, Jaune. Try to get it done in time to hang out with your girlfriend though, hm?”

Groaning and shaking his head at his friend’s teasing, Jaune turned to leave without another word.

XxX----XxX----XxX

“I know, I know, we’re runnin’ a bit behind.” Roman sighed as Junior’s goons loaded up the car and hauled the Dust away, now that he’d had time to catalogue the various group’s hauls. While he watched them, and knowing they could hear him, he sighed loudly. “Our faces are on the front, back and sides of every newspaper, billboard and wall in Vale. Can’t go out, so we have to rely on the help.”

“They’re making us late.” The girl signed angrily, splayed out over the hood of the truck the goons were loading with her head hanging by his own, looking bored and frustrated and for all the world like a kid. Her hand in front of his face she signed on, “I don’t like being late when I’m not the one deciding to be.”

“I know, kid.” Roman sighed, pulling a cigar free and looking at it sadly. If they weren’t surrounded by Dust... Sighing, he put it away and went on, “I know. We’ll be done pretty soon, hopefully, and we can get goin’.”

Though that looked unlikely with how slow things were proceeding, and he sighed for it. With their names and faces everywhere that mattered, the authorities and automated systems would ping him if he left the warehouse district. Neo could travel a bit using her Semblance, of course, but that didn’t help him much for more than an hour or so before her Aura would run out. Not nearly enough time for them to do their jobs without either getting caught or getting killed. And certainly not enough time to get the Dust they needed to satisfy their bitch of a boss’ demand.

And that stuck them in this shitty little warehouse stinking of fish and Dust, late to their one spot of relaxation in the week. Which was just ruining Neo’s mood, and pretty soon, Roman expected her to start stabbing. A great motivating tool, but…

“If you start stabbing people you can’t hang out with your blonde punching bag.” He pointed out simply when her eyes linger a hair too long on a particularly slow moving grunt. With a pout, the girl turned an upside down gaze on him, brows knitted down and lips pushed out to pout, and he shrugged, “Hey, I’m not burying bodies because you got bored and pouty. You see this coat? Getting goon blood out of white is not fun, kiddo, let me tell you.”

He made no effort to keep his voice down, and several of the suited men and women shuffled to get their work done a bit faster as a result. 

“You’re a bully.” Neo sighed, still pouting but unable to keep the little smirk down for seeing the goons scurry. Still, “You’re a big, big bully.”

“You knew I was a bully when I took you in, Neo. ” He murmured in answer, smiling when she rolled her upside down eyes and laughed silently. An odd seeming, almost off-putting gesture at first, accompanied by all the shaking and smiling of a normal laugh, but dead silent. Smiling, he went on, “A big, bad wolf, but you hopped right into my car anyway. Not very bright of you.”

“Nothing you would have done to me would have been worse than starving.”

“I could have sold you off to a whorehouse or something you know.” He pointed out, reaching up to tip his hat down to hide his eyes, his face hidden in the raised collar of his coat. Neo gave him a look caught between considering and amused and then laughed silently again and shook her head. 

“Still better than starving.” She pointed out as she often did when he made this point, trying to caution her about how risky her decision making could be sometimes. “And besides, you didn’t. So it doesn’t matter.”

“Valid.” And that was the end of that argument, as it always was when he tried to broach the subject. He never seemed able to push the argument the way he wanted, though. Not with that face looking at him, at least. Maybe over Scroll… “Lars! C’mere, you walking, talking stack of muscles.”

“Got it, Little Boss.” The huge man, dressed in a dress shirt straining to contain his swollen frame, grunted as he sauntered over. A foot taller than Roman, and with biceps the size of his head, the reason Junior kept him around was as obvious as the reason Roman had picked him out for hauling work. “What is it, Little Boss?” Neo glared and, with little more than a small nod, he corrected, “Little Bosses. Sorry, Miss Neo.”

“She says it's fine and not to worry about it.” He translated for the girl, Lars having not learned sign for the reasons many didn’t. A lack of time, need or interest. Moving on, Roman asked, “Status report?”

“It’ll be about an hour before we’ve got all the Dust canisters de-labeled and put into unmarked crates, Lil Bosses.” The man reported, gesturing at the men across the small, fish-scented warehouse to a cluster of half a dozen thugs carefully moving the racks of volatile Dust into crates more easily moved around the city. Without looking back to them he rumbled, “Another crew in and we could cut that in half, but bringin’ in more people would bring in more attention.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t gotta tell me twice, Tiny.” Roman knew the game all too well. Most of these people had come in dressed as factory workers, and a factory shift ran for ten hours. They’d been at it for three, so another shift would make no sense. Chewing the inside of a cheek he waved the man away, “Back to it, then. No sense in waitin’ around with your thumb in your ass. Imagine someone just standing around while all this work is waiting to be done.”

“Yeah.” The big man rumbled, sounding amused and affronted in equal, bored measure. “Imagine that.”

“Can we call in more hands?” Neo knew the answer, judging from her hopeless little face, but it still pained him to have to shake his head. He murmured an apology and she waved him off, grabbing him by the neck to give him a peck on the cheek. With it as proof she assured him, “It’s fine. I’m just useless at all this and bored.”

“And you wanna go play with your shiny new toy.” Roman added, chuckled when the hand on the back of his neck squeezed. His aura meant that it was little more than a play threat, and he laughed while she pouted. “Hey now, no murdering your meal ticket. Bad form, Neo, bad form.”

He didn’t need to understand Sign to know that her next hand sign meant, “Fuck you.”

“Nah, that’d be weird. You’re like my kid- Ah, cunt!” His hat in her hands and hand receding from having pinched him, she smirked and flipped up onto the hood, turning the movement into a little spin so she could sit with her legs crossed and put his hat on. Rolling his eyes he fished out a fistful of Lien cards and held them out for her, “Here. Gimme my hat back and go play with your boy toy.”

She took the cards slowly in one hand and signed with the other, “But we aren’t done yet.”

“I’m supervising and you’re just sitting there doing nothing but aggravating me and thinking about stabbing my loyal workers.” Again, those nearest to them shuffled away anxiously, earning a vicious little grin from the woman.As she handed over his hat, he went on more seriously, “So go have some fun, kiddo. But watch the blonde, I won't be there to keep an eye on him myself.”

“What am I watching for?” She signed, sliding the Lien into her bra and hopping off the truck. 

“He’s a good guy, Neo.” Roman answered simply, knowing Neo would understand what he meant. If a good guy found out just how bad they were, things wouldn’t be good for them. And since he knew Neo wouldn’t let her new toy go now she had some interest in him, watching him was the better answer. “I won’t be there, and I know you get distracted easily, but… Keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn’t try anything funny.”

“Something funny?” She made a motion of putting her finger through a hole made by her other hand and signed, “Kind of funny or the calling police kind of funny?”

“Yes.” And god help him if he made a pass at Neo while Roman wasn’t there. Stab happy as she was, she was still his little murder loli of a faux-daughter. She only raised an eyebrow to ask if he really thought she’d let either of those happen and he chuckled, turning back to keep watching them work. “Go on now, and have fun. Plenty of Lien there so y’all should be able to do whatever you want to. Have fun, and lemme know how your date goes.”

“It’s not a date…” He laughed and she pouted, but wandered off regardless. 

A murder midget with a sadistic streak a mile wide she might have been but gods was she innocent in a hadnful of ways. Hopefully the blonde wouldn’t pick sides in any of the coming troubles. Or rather, hopefully he didn’t pick a side that hurt Neo’s feelings.

XxX----XxX----XxX

As always, hope you enjoyed my Irregular Update. Length is random on these due to their nature, yada yada, they won’t become Regular Update stories like The Way or anything unless a Supporter asks me to do so. You know the drill. Also, there is a troll in my reviews. Ignore ‘em, report ‘em, do as you like. Have a good day though!

XxX----XxX----XxX

Zenith Tempest :

I am mainly writing this for fun and to relax, like A soldier, Not a Hero. As such, beyond the immediate plot, I have no real hooks or plans. I am always open to suggestions and ideas if you have ‘em.

Dr Killinger :

It’s not a one-shot. It’s an Irregular story, though. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it.

Mister Cuddlesworth :

It will continue, just irregularly unless it gets picked up by a Supporter.


	3. Bonding with your Murder Loli

XxX----XxX----XxX

Official Supporters: 

Priests, The Impossible Muffin, Xager the Chaos King. 

Adeptus, Private Wilger

Ze Nope Rope, Kaiser Snek, Snekiest Snek

Acolytes, DigiDemonLord, Cheeseberry

Initiates, Greg Gibson, Espacole

If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : https://discord.gg/2UZncAm

Second link here, remove spaces and it SHOULD work : D iscord . gg (slash) kfhkfUb

I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.

Beta : 

XxX----XxX----XxX

Normally, going to see his friends was simple. He wore his armor and his sword, pulled his hood up, and walked on the roads Neo had shown him once upon a time. Back just after he’d come to Vale and tried to help her, as well as that had wound up working out for him. Only once had anyone bothered him, demanding a ‘toll’ until Jaune described who he was going to see while anxiously digging out his wallet. The man had paled, shoved, then shoved his own wallet back at Jaune and pointed shakily up the road. Confused, Jaune had taken the wallet and left, turning when he heard the man sprint away. 

He’d asked if the guy worked for them when he got there, but hadn’t gotten an answer. Still, since he hadn’t seen him again, he figured that he hadn’t.

Tonight, though, Neo told him to meet her up at the air-docks that he always got dropped off at. A message warned him she’d be a bit later to get there than he would, but that was fine. He found one of the sheltered benches around a corner, far enough from the door no one was around it and it had been mostly abandoned, a bit of wayward trash crumpled under it testament to how often it was frequented. Hood up, he’d settled into reading on his Scroll while he waited.

A tiny hand patting his knee drew him from the new X-Ray and Vav chapter. A small girl, maybe half his height plus change, was smiling at him. Green eyes, blackpig-tails and a gothic look, he didn’t recognize her.

“Yes?” He tried, blinking when her brows furrowed and her head cocked to the side in a clear ‘really?’ gesture. “Oh, yeah, sorry. I’m waiting for someone, but do you need help finding your parents, little girl?”

Slowly, so slowly it looked like genuine effort, the girl’s head cocked the other way. Then she blinked, equally slowly, before an eye twitched. She looked left, then she looked right, before planting a knee on his thigh and leaning in. Stammering, he leaned back, but fragile, small hands fisted in his hair to hold him still as her angry face filled his vision.

Green eyes blinked, and came back pink and brown as Jaune realized his mistake. “Ohhhh, Neo. I didn't recognize you.” When she bounced back, face entirely unamused, and started counting he stiffened, “U-Uh, what are you counting down?”

“Your headstart.” She signed with one hand, counting with the other. 

“B-But I just... “ He trailed off and she kept thinking, while he raked his brain for something to keep himself breathing with. Finally, he settled on his dad’s patented, age old, surefire solution. 

Bullshit.

“I-I was just distracted! I was so excited, waiting on my adorable training partner like I have been, I didn’t even think you might wear a disguise.” The compliment, weak as it was, seemed to work, making her pause her counting for a minute. Seeing the advantage for what it was, he kept it up, like he was taking advantage of an opening in armor. “A-And I like the new look. I mean, you were the prettiest girl I’d ever seen already, but wow! I’m just… Wow.”

“Really?” She blinked, counting hand used to sign the words. “You think I’m that pretty?”

“Y-Yes.” Damn his stammer! It was thanks to that her eyes narrowed in doubt, and he had to rush on, “W-Why else would I come down to the warehouse district every weekend if not to get training from the prettiest and best fighter in the city?”

“Flattery won’t help you if you suck at it, Jaune.” She’d stopped counting, though, he didn’t risk pointing out. After a moment she smiled, shrugged, and slammed a heel into his foot. 

His Aura flared but he still hissed, yanking his foot up and whining, “Why…?”

“Because you called me a ‘little girl’, dick.” She sighed, crossing her arms and plopping into the seat beside him. 

“I’m sorry.” He tried again, the girl giving him a look that demanded more and drew a sigh from him. “I just… Okay, don’t hit me, but you’re small, so I- Ow, I said don’t hit me!” She smiled but crossed her arms, and he sighed, “You’re small, and you look different. Cute as they are, the pigtails didn’t help that. Maybe warn me next time you want to wear a disguise so I know what it looks like?”

After a long second, Neo sighed silently, “I didn’t think to.”

“That’s fine.” He answered, knowing that was likely as close to an apology as she was able to get to. Which was just how she was, really, and he’d grown more than used to it. “So,” he pushed on, “what’s the plan for today, then? Did you just wanna show off your new look before we meet up with our friend, or did you have a plan?”

“Roman has too much work.” She answered simply, smiling at how easily he moved on. A small smile, barely there, but one he saw and knew the meaning of. “Won’t be free for a few hours. Said we should go ahead and hang out on our own for tonight.”

“Is he okay?” Jaune asked, grimacing for a moment before adding, “I-If it’s something I can help with, then maybe I could-”

“It’s illegal.” Neo cut him off, shrugging as though that alone ought to end the conversation. He raised his eyebrows and she signed on rapidly, eyes flicking out to the street warily as she did. Though, someone watching them who knew sign was less than likely, as relatively rare as the need to was. “Nothing super bad, of course. Moving stolen cargo mostly. Just taking time.”

“Ah.” He blinked, leg bouncing idly as he thought. Finally, quietly, he asked, “So? I can still help. Especially if I’m just lugging crap around.”

“No, Jaune.” Neo shook her head, eyes locked on his own now. “You aren’t involved in any of that. You’re not like us.”

“Really? I’m not?” He laughed, genuinely amused by the question. Neo’s eyes narrowed but was terrible at taking hints. Even when he saw them. “Funny, I thought that I was a felon waiting to be noticed.”

“You’re different.” She signed after a moment, hesitating and adding, “Good. Better.”

“Neo, I robbed my family, sword and Lien for transport both, to get here.” He argued quietly, giving her a hard, sidelong look that had even her blinking for surprise. Green eyes flashed to pink for it, another sign of hers he was more than adjusted to. “Now, I’m lying to everyone around me except you and him. The only people I’m honest with are criminals, Neo.”

“You just want to help people, though.” Neo argued, knowing he put no insult in the word ‘criminal’ and not rising to it. “You’re a good person.”

“Not really.” He sighed, leaning back against the bench and letting his head loll back to rest against cool brickwork. Head turned so he could see her, he went on, smiling more thinly now as he spoke, “I’m a bad one, actually, I think. Every time we go out on missions, when they start, I’m risking their lives for my own benefit.”

“But you-”

“And I’m fine with that, Neo.” He cut her off, grabbing her hand mid-sign. She stiffened warningly and tried to pull it free, but for once, he didn’t let her go. He needed her to listen, and if she really wanted to cut in, her other hand was free. “When I’m out there with them, they won’t be risking their lives alone. I’ll be right up front, in the thick of it. Things go sideways, and I’ll be the first to go down.”

Her other hand, left free so that she could speak, swung around so fast his Aura couldn’t snap up in time. Cheek stinging, he watched her hands sign in a mad flurry, hard brown and pink eyes searing into his own until he murmured, “You’re going too fast…”

Screaming mutely towards the sky, she mimed strangling something for a bit longer than normal until, finally and slowly enough he could understand, she signed, “Don’t talk like that.”

“I’m just being honest…”

“Don’t. Talk. Like. That.” She signed, punctuating each word with a fist to make the enunciation very clear for him. A weird way to do it, but then, he wasn’t sure of any other way to accomplish that specific thing. “Don’t be an idiot. Dying is not allowed, Jaune. Especially for something as dumb as that.”

“An idiot?” He blinked, “How am I-”

“Yes.” She nodded, cutting him off with a roll of her eyes. “An incredible idiot. Do your best but if you accept you’ll probably die then you will. If shit is that bad, then run away and get help.”

“That’s not what a Huntsman would do, though.” He argued, “A Huntsman would stick it out to the very last, no matter what happened.”

“You’re not one, though.” She countered easily, eyes flashing back to green as she sighed. “You’re a criminal. A thief and a liar. Selfish enough to rob your own family and lie your way into this mess.”

“That’s my point, though, Neo. That I’m a- Well, I won’t say it, but you know. I’m like you guys in my own way.” She blinked in realization and he laughed, smiling warmly at her for his win even as she pouted. Victorious, he squeezed her hand to remind her he had it, earning a blush and her yanking it away like she’d been burned. “Compromise?”

“Depends on what it is.” 

“I won’t push to get involved, and I promise that I won’t be dumb.” She nodded, happy enough with that already for obvious reasons. “But if you guys need my help, no matter what it is- No, you have to listen to my side, too, Neo or it isn’t a compromise. It’s just you winning.”

“Yeah.” She nodded, smiling brightly, “I like winning. Winning is fun.”

“Uh huh, I bet.” Feeling brave, he flicked her nose and laughed when her eyes crossed and her cheeks puffed out. He’d pay for it later, he knew from her red cheeks and scowl, but it had been worth it. “We’re compromising though, Neo. You’re a big girl, I know you can do it.”

“Fine.” She sighed, smiling in spite of herself. “Let me guess, we have to tell you if we need help. Right?”

“Got it in one.” He nodded, offering a hand for her to shake. “Sound like a deal to you, too?”

After a moment she sighed, looked to the sky as though help would come from the gods or something, and then took his hand. “Deal,” she signed with her free hand, “but only if we absolutely have to.”

“You do.” He assured her, taking a breath now their argument, short lived or not, had come to an amicable enough end. “So,” he started, “what now, then? I’m assuming you came with plans other than a little spat between friends?”

“Friends?” She repeated, raising an eyebrow challengingly and smirking at him. “Are we friends now, Jaune?”

“Yeah- No- Maybe?” He blinked, chewing on his bottom lip and watching her for a long moment. Finally, she broke, shoulders shaking and mouth open in a body shaking, silent laugh. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.”

“Movie and dinner?” She signed around her mute trembling, giving him an almost invisible look he didn’t understand. “Roman gave me some Lien and told us to have fun without him, since we couldn’t spar like normal.”

“Sure.” He shrugged, trying to fight the question over whether this would be a date or not. He doubted it, of course, but… Well, Neo was weird and he was kind of desperate in that department. “Why not? You can pick both if you like, too.”

“Okay.” She signed, hopping up and dragging him with her by a hand he hadn’t realized she’d taken. Dragging him with her and smiling widely, she signed over a shoulder, “I know a great action flick and steak house we can enjoy together.”

“S-Sure.” It wasn’t a date, though, he kept telling himself even as his throat dried out. “Whatever you wanna do is fine by me.”

“Dangerous words to say to me, Jaune.” She signed, turning to give him a wink and dragging him along. He asked what she meant, but she ignored him entirely. Confusing little murder loli, as usual.

But hey, she did look cute in that skirt.

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Quick and typical advisory-

Length is random on side-fics. As is the content. In this one is character building, for this version of Jaune.

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Zenith Tempest :

You pose some good ideas there, friend-o~

Nine Yetis :

I don’t know why but I find them so smooth and easy to write… S’weird.

Dr Killinger :

Hey, Neo doesn’t need to be told she’s adorable.

X3runner :

Yeah, wears it on his sleeves, Jaune does.

Sssddd :

Good to hear!


	4. Progress

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Official Supporters: 

Priests, The Impossible Muffin, Xager the Chaos King. 

Adeptus, Private Wilger

Ze Nope Rope, Kaiser Snek, Snekiest Snek

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Initiates, Greg Gibson, Espacole

If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : https://discord.gg/2UZncAm

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I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.

Beta : 

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“Hello, Sir. Ma’am.” The waiter said through a polite smile as she and Jaune settled in, Neo tucking a leg under her knee comfortably and smiling at the man. The waiter returned it, but quickly looked to Jaune and ignored her. Smiling politely after a second, he asked, setting a menu in front of him, “Special day for your daughter, Sir? Friday is half-off the daughter’s order for father daughter dinners, you know.”

“M-My daughter...?” Jaune blinked, turning to her as she turned to him, her eye twitching. She knew she looked young dressed like this, but come on… Jaune did not look that old! Smiling, the blonde knight wannabe explained, “She’s, uh, not my daughter, actually. Uh, Sir.”

“Oh?” The salt and pepper haired man blinked, turning to her and then back to him. “Ah, Sister, perhaps?”

“I’m going to chop off each of his toes and feed them to him…” Neo warned, signing with one hand and pouting at Jaune, her other twirling one of the knives she’d pulled out of the little napkin wrap restaurants used. 

“U-Uh, yeah, sure. That’s close enough, I guess, yeah.” He smiled, laughing awkwardly and signing at her with a hand while he explained to the man that she couldn’t talk so he’d translate for her. “I know it’s annoying but it’s a good cover story. Just go with it.”

He had her there, she supposed…

“Please, forgive my assumption, Miss Arc.” That drew a reaction from her, her face warming and Neo herself pouting when Jaune snorted for it. The waiter handed her a menu now, too, and she took the opportunity to hide herself behind it while she decided what to eat. “If I may, I recommend our pepper steak and baked potato. The combination is quite filling and rather well-priced for the taste.”

“Yeah, sure, that sounds fine for me.” Jaune smiled, turning to her and asking from behind the helpful plastic screen, “What do you think, Sis?” Her foot snapped out to catch his shin, sparking off Aura, and she heard him laugh while she signed, “The same for her. Well done for me, rare for her, and just cheese on her potato. And tea for both of us, please.”

“Very good sir, Ma’am.” The man smiled as she folded her menu up and handed it back to him, blush gone and a small smile in its place. Tucking it under an arm the man smiled and left to tend to his next table a bit down the way.

“So,” Jaune smirked, Neo’s eyes already narrowing warningly, “how are you enjoying your evening, Miss Arc?”

She was fairly certain her kicks not at least a tenth of his monstrous Aura off inside the next minute. Jaune only laughed, though, taking it like a man and smiling all the while. After a minute, though, Neo’s leg got tired of kicking to no effect and she gave up, pouting in the seat across from her… Whatever Jaune was. ‘Meal ticket’ sounded about right, for now, since without him ordering her food would have been a painful jumble of asking for a pen and paper or typing on her Scroll.

Not to mention it would be memorable and, if the ‘authorities’ ever found out and added that she was mute and could disguise herself, would be a problem.

“So, uh, sis.” Jaune started when they were brought their buttery rolls to nibble on, along with their drinks. “I was wondering… You’re such a good fighter, why don’t you just, I don’t know, try and get into a Combat School?”

“Too old to get into starting schools.” She signed with one hand, parting a roll with the other and dexterously buttering it while she did. “No starting schools, no way to get into the real deal Academies.”

“Really.” He remarked dryly, both brows raised and a smile on his face, “You’re going to play that card with me?”

“...Valid, I guess.” She sighed and signed, drumming her fingers on the table while she thought. Finally, she found the right words and signed, “But even if I wanted to try, I’m wanted. I couldn’t possibly keep an illusion up forever. Someone would see something eventually and off to prison I’d go.”

“Valid.” Jaune parroted, chewing on a roll for a moment before asking through sign, “You could try for a plea bargain.” Her eyes narrowed and Jaune made the sign for ‘patience’, before yawning and using the gesture to look around the way she’s taught him. Satisfied no one was paying attention, he explained, “I mean agree to be a Huntress in exchange for not going to prison. Your wanted posters don’t say you did anything that bad.”

“I guess...” Perks of how society worked, no matter how you shook it, Roman got pinned with the worst of their crimes while Neo got caught in the small, pettier ones. A small, mute and frail looking woman couldn’t possibly be a hardened criminal, after all. Still, “I won’t ever leave Roman, though.”

“I wasn’t trying to suggest that!” He murmured, the words coming faster than his fingers could think to sign. “I just,” he swapped back to signing, “I guess I was curious if you ever considered being a Huntress. Outside the walls, maybe.”

“I don’t have a license.”

“Fake one.” He sighed and shrugged, watching their waiter walk by with someone else’s food and frowning for it. Still, he went on, “Or just take jobs people don’t ask for a license for. In Ansel, we had people come through all the time who did jobs without a license. If you had proof of the job being done, you’d get paid.”

“Really?”

“Outside the Walls, if someone does work, you pay them.” He shrugged, “Doesn’t really matter if they’re licensed for it or not. Dead Grimm are dead Grimm, and a deer hide is a deer hide.”

“Makes sense I guess…”

“Maybe keep it in mind, in case things ever get bad?” He smiled but it turned almost sad in a way Neo couldn’t quite describe after a moment, and he added. “It would mean I probably wouldn’t get to see you again for a while, but… Out there, you’d both be safe, so as much as I’d miss you, that’d be fine. Know what I mean?”

“Yeah.” And she couldn’t help the smile or warmth she felt at the way he’d said that. So sad not to see her - not them, but her - but willing to deal with it for their sake… “Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind and if things get bad, I’ll make Roman do that.”

“Make him, huh?” Jaune laughed, swapping back to words as the waiter closed in and smiling widely in a way that Neo knew by now meant nothing good. After the waiter had served them, and ignoring the narrow-eyed glare she had given him the whole time, Jaune asked loudly enough to be heard, “How do you plan to make him do anything, though, Miss Arc?”

Fuck it.

She could eat her steak while pummeling his kneecaps under the table.

XxX----XxX----XxX

The next morning Jaune woke up to two things. His aching, bruised shins that hadn’t quite healed all the way up overnight. And the door to the living room of the little apartment, where he slept on the weekends, opening and closing. Heavy but purposefully soft steps came around to the edge of the wall that separated the entry hall from the living room. Quietly, Roman poked his head around the corner to see if he was awake and he could pass through, into the kitchen that adjoined it. 

“Sup.” Jaune groaned, sitting up and yawning. Absently, his hands snapped up to catch the apologetic McGronald’s breakfast sandwich the man hurled his way, peeling it open as the man made his way to the kitchen. “I keep telling you, Roman, for all you try and be quiet coming in you never take your boots off and that always wakes me up.”

“Yeah, well, shoot me, I guess.” He sighed, popping open the fridge to grab an apple and taking it with him to collapse onto a chair. Taking a bite out of it he sighed, asking around it, “How was y’alls night?”

“I think Neo broke my shins…?”

“Yeah, well, you probably deserved it.” Jaune only shrugged at that. He had kept teasing her… “Besides that, though?”

“It was, uh, nice I guess. The steak was damn good, actually, I would recommend it if you wanna send Neo out.” He answered with another shrug, yawning but getting up now that Roman was talking to him. Setting his sandwich on the floor for now, on top of the wrapper so it would be fine, he set to work folding up the little blanket and set it and his pillow at the other end of the couch. Settling in and ignoring Roman’s smirk at his pajamas, he reached for his sandwich again, “How was your night?”

“Spent it ordering animals around, loading high explosives, and making Lien.” He shrugged, taking another bite of his apple and shaking his head agitatedly. “My absolute Dust damn bitch of a boss was about nine hours late to telling me where to take the goods, too. So I’ve not actually turned in yet.”

“Sorry to hear that, Roman.” That explained why he hadn’t gotten them coffee and a sandwich for himself, then. Taking a bite from his sandwich, Jaune paid the man a nod in thanks and grunted, “I hope you get some rest soon, then.”

“Yeah, yeah, me too, kid.” Roman sighed, staring tiredly at the fruit in his hands before giving Jaune a long, calculating look. “You know, kid, I wound up not gettin’ all my shit done last night thanks to Cin-” He cut himself off with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Thanks to the bitch. And you’d best forget you heard anything else, Jaune.”

“Y-Yeah.” He’d said Jaune, not ‘kid’, and so he knew that Roman was deathly serious in his warning. The man gave him a long look and Jaune smiled weakly, reassuring him, “I didn’t hear anything, Roman. An S or a C maybe, but who knows how many people have names that start with that? Or if you were going to say a normal name?”

“I guess…”

“Just… You don’t have to worry about me, Roman.” Jaune nodded, taking a bite from his sandwich and turning to stretch out on the couch. After a moment, Roman nodded and took another bite from his apple, the two eating in silence until Jaune offered, “If, uh, you need anything not illegal dealt with, since you’re so behind…”

“Kid, what part of ‘not wanting you involved’ have you failed to understand? Like, come on, kid.” Roman sighed, pitching the apple core across the room and into a bin with the kind of skill only a Huntsman could hope to show off. “I know I haven’t said it outright, not really, but I don’t want you fuckin’ around in my kind of business.”

“Yeah, well, as much time as I spend around you, I’m probably up that creek already. Sans paddle, too.” Roman raised an eyebrow and Jaune sighed, shaking his head and crossing his arms in what he hoped was a way that didn’t make him look like a petulant teenager. “If you get busted, your protection over me is gone. How many people have seen me wandering downtown to see you guys?”

“Plenty.”

“And how many would mention me in interviews if you and Neo got caught?” Jaune asked, the man meeting his eyes and then sighing, letting his head roll back to rest against the chair. Knowing Roman had seen his point he pressed again, “I’m just saying that helping you out, in legal ways mind you, isn’t any worse than what we’ve been up to. If I get caught out for false papers at Beacon, I’m, you know…”

“Going to jail...” Roman nodded, pinching his nose and sighing. “I see your point.”

“Okay, so… Was what you needed done important to you?”

“Yeah.” Roman nodded, “Me and Neo both, in fact. Really damn important, actually. Enough that I wonder if the Bitch got in my way on purpose, to keep me from doin’ it.”

“Then if it’s legal, let me do it.” He shrugged, “If I’m able to, I mean. I just don’t want anything bad happening to you two.”

“Yeah… And if this doesn’t get sent, somethin’ bad could happen.” Standing, he sighed and fished an envelope out of his pocket and held it out to him, eyes hard and clearly exhausted. “Probably gonna regret this when I have sleep in me, but… Head to The Club and hand that to one of the mooks. Wait around and you’ll get some Lien. It’s nothing but a letter so technically, shit’s legal.”

“I can do that, yeah.”

“And,” Roman warned, snatching it away at the last second, “don’t expect any more jobs, don’t expect me not to change my mind, and don’t make it obvious you’re runnin’ my letter for me.”

“Got it.”

“And don’t say shit to Neo.” Roman added, handing him the simple looking little envelope. “She’d break my kneecaps if she found out I was even givin’ you this inch. Only doin’ it ‘cus I’m tired and you don’t drop it anyways.”

“Got it.” He smiled, standing and turning to get his clean clothes out of his bag. “I’ll head out now, then. Maybe she won’t be up by the time I get back. And if she is, I can bribe her with something sweet I’ll get on the way back. Ideas?”

“Pancake House.” He grunted, sliding his coat off and laying it on the chair. “Cinnamon waffles with chocolate chip. Have ‘em hold the butter and syrup. Makes ‘em soggy and we have our own.”

Nodding, Jaune smiled and left while the man dragged himself off to finally crash.

XxX----XxX----XxX

So.

Good boi Jaune caught Roman exhausted and pushed him, so Roman gave him a job. Good boi was worried, after all. I had a bit of trouble writing a tired Roman, and the Jaune in this is a bit different from canon for probably obvious reasons. But I hope you all enjoy my slow setup for the plot.

I mean plot? What plot? No plot here, nuh uh.

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Dr Killinger :

She does seem the type to want to be praised. This entire sequence actually comes from V7 where Cinder doesn’t praise her and she gets upset.

Journeys End 1 :

Feel free to borrow from mine! I won’t mind, just drop a note about me.


	5. Special Delivery

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Official Supporters: 

Priests, The Impossible Muffin, Xager the Chaos King. 

Adeptus, Private Wilger

Ze Nope Rope, Kaiser Snek, Snekiest Snek

Acolytes, DigiDemonLord, Cheeseberry

Initiates, Espacole

If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : https://discord.gg/2UZncAm

Second link here, remove spaces and it SHOULD work : D iscord . gg (slash) kfhkfUb

I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.

Beta(s) : 

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There is currently a poll on my discord for new stories coming up, for those interested.

XxX----XxX----XxX

Jaune hadn’t been there more than once or twice, but he knew where The Club was. Even Nora and Yang had mentioned the place in passing, even if they talked about it more as the big dance club it fronted as rather than… Everything else Junior got up to. Jaune himself wasn’t entirely sure what that was beyond ‘selling information’ though, thanks to how insulated Neo and Roman kept him from their goings on.

“Not anymore, though.” He reassured himself, looking at the big building across the street and resting a hand on the envelope in his old, prized hoodie’s pocket. 

He was finally helping his friends, after everything they’d done for him. His team, his friends besides, his training and his chance to be a hero. He owed them so much, and it was so nice to be able to pay some of that back and help them out. Even if it wasn’t much more than being a delivery boy… 

“No.” He chided himself, shaking his head and tucking his hood around his ears. “What it is doesn’t matter, I’m still helping.”

So, tossing a look both ways before he did like he’d been taught, he jogged across the road.

This early in the morning the massive dance club and bar was silent, its working hours having ended a few hours beforehand. The neon lights were off, the club’s doors were propped open for air, presumably while the inside was cleaned after a long night. The velvet ropes that managed the lines waiting to try and get in had been taken down, their metal posts left bare while a young woman cleaned them and a man swept the area up. Neither paid any mind, and he didn’t want to bother them while they were working, so he turned his attention to the last man outside.

“We’re closed, and wouldn’t let ya in if we weren’t.” The old man sighed, leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and his chin resting against his chest. 

“B-But I have a message for-”

“Ain’t nobody out there I know about sendin’ a message to anyone here in a Pumpkin Pete’s hoodie, kid.” The man sighed, giving him a once-over and shaking his head. Considering him, the man growled out, “What are you, anyway? Seventeen? Eighteen? Tell me nineteen and I’ll call you a liar.”

“Seventeen.” Going on eighteen, but he knew better than to add that part. Bad enough he’d not noticed which hoodie he was pulling on in his excitement to get going. “And someone out there sent me here with a letter.”

“Sure, kid.” The man sighed, returning his chin to his chest, tipping his bowler forward a bit. “Seventeen? Should get goin’ then. I’m sure you got homework or somethin’ to do.”

“I don’t- I already finished my homework for the week last night.” Jaune hated people like this, who took one look at his clothes, or at him, and assumed they could judge him. Roman and Neo hadn’t, at least beyond making jokes. Instead they were helping him, and he wasn’t about to let this guy stop him from returning the favor.

Even if he hated playing this card…

“My friend wouldn’t like you hassling me like this, you know.” He murmured, stepping close and putting his Aura up when the man’s hand slipped into his suit jacket. Regardless of his age, Jaune was as tall as the older man, so he spoke straight into his face, whispering the threat, “Neo doesn’t like people giving me a hard time when I’m just doing a favor for our other friend.”

“N-Neo?” The older man blinked, swallowing anxiously as Jaune stepped back and turned a smile on the two cleaners who had turned to pay attention when he stepped close. When Jaune only nodded the man pushed off the wall and straightened his coat anxiously. “I’ll, uh, I’ll… Show you in, then, if you want?”

“Y-Yeah, I guess.” Technically, Jaune was just supposed to hand the letter off, but… He really wanted to see what it was like up where Roman and Junior had their meetings. Roman wouldn’t be happy, but… “Right behind you, then.”

The man nodded and Jaune followed, feeling just the least bit guilty about name-dropping Neo, and by extension Roman, like that. But then again, he never really did that normally, and right now he was trying to help Roman out. 

So he felt a bit entitled to use their names if someone tried to stop him from doing his job.

Inside, The Club had been emptied out and, unlike when it was operating, it was brightly lit. A couple dozen cleaning crew meandered here and there, collecting trash and cleaning the tables and seating in their all-white uniforms. Black-clothed guards, Junior’s men Jaune knew from the simplistic rundown Roman had given him once upon a time, stood and sat randomly throughout the room. Most had food and drinks, probably their dinner given their work schedule.

All of them, even the cleaners, stopped what they were doing when he came in. And, feeling particularly self-conscious about his Pumpkin Pete’s hoodie, he kept his head down so they wouldn’t see him.

“This way.” His guide grunted, moving past the bar and towards a set of stairs that led up.

At the top was clearly a VIP section of sorts, designed and built like a restaurant with numerous booths lining the walls to either side. Each had been built as circles, about a tenth of them left open and connected by a thick looking, curved curtain rod with heavy red curtains that could be drawn for privacy. Some, he saw as they passed them, were bigger than others with poles than ran to the ceiling.

Jaune didn’t need their purpose explained to him, to say the least.

Another set of stairs, this one guarded by two burly, alert looking henchmen, had been built at the far end of one side of the VIP section. It lead him further up and, though the guards gave him looks, they didn’t question him. The last floor, which actually stretched out over the dance and club area unlike the VIP room, was a maze of hallways and rooms. None were labeled, for whatever reason, but his guide knew the way.

“You’re, uh, not gonna tell Roman I gave you trouble are you?” The man asked after a while, looking over his shoulder at Jaune. “Cus, I didn’t know who you were, man. Didn’t recognize you I mean. Sorry, long night, I’m… Worn out.”

“I won’t say anything.” He did not want Neo to know he name-dropped her. She’d either love it, or hate it, and he did not need to know which. 

“Thanks…” The man sighed, shoulders sloping ever so slightly in relief. 

Something stood out as odd, somehow, to him. It wasn’t odd how anxious he’d been at Neo and Roman’s names being dropped, that made sense in the context of what Jaune knew about the ‘underworld’. Especially since the man had misstepped and now was leading him through his boss’ lair to meet with him afterwards, knowing Jaune could land him in hot water if he wanted. And wasn’t that weird to think, him being in some ‘underworld’ boss’ ‘lair’.

‘Do they call them lairs?’ He wondered quietly as they rounded a corner. ‘Should I ask? Would that be rude?’

“Stanley, you’re supposed to be watching the door.” A voice drew his attention, looking up and past the suited man at a young woman all in white who looked tired and suspicious, arms crossed under a small bust and eyes narrow. Her eyes flicked to him and narrowed more, asking both of them, “Who is this and why is he up here?”

“U-Uh, Miss Malachite, I- He has something for the boss. From, uh, M-Mimster Bowler-”

“Oh save the stupid code names up here, Stanley, if the cops have this bugged we’ll be in a paddy wagon in an hour.” The woman sneered, stalking around the man on dangerously tall heels. As in, literally dangerous, he could see an almost bladed edge to them. “Do you really think this lanky little man-child would work for Roman, Stanley?”

“W-Well, people don’t just say they work for him and not… Actually work for him.” The man murmured, turning a desperate look on him and swallowing anxiously. “That would get us both killed. And ain’t no one ‘round here dumb enough to drop his name or her name like that.”

“Oh.” He blinked, fishing the slightly crumpled envelope out of his pocket and showing it to them. “I have proof.”

“Oh thank the gods…”

“Oh fuck me sideways and raw...” The woman murmured, taking it and looking at the little stamp Roman had left on it. What the stamp really meant was lost on him, of course, but she pushed it back into his hands like it was diseased. “Stanley, you go watch the damn door, I’ll take him to the boss.”

“Got it, Miss Malachite.” The man nodded, eager enough to turn and almost jog off and away from them both. 

“You’re the little ice cream girl’s blonde, right?” He wasn’t sure about the way she phrased that, like Neo owned him, but he nodded regardless and the woman chewed her lip. Looking to either side as though expecting someone to show up she stepped forward, pressing him against the wall and then her against him, hissing low enough anyone that had been there wouldn’t be able to hear. “The fuck is going on with Roman, then? You know what that stamp means?”

“N-No, I don’t know what it means.” He answered, fighting to ignore the feeling of the woman against him and the pale skin of her chest he could see with the little it of height he had on her, and the angle. Hands up in surrender, and so he knew where they were, he explained, “Roman just asked me to do him the favor, he doesn’t want me super involved in any of this.”

“Why not?” She demanded, pressed even more firmly against him in what he guessed was supposed to be threatening. Ignoring of the real reason he was sweating and flushed, she demanded, “What makes you so special? You aren’t involved, but you’re running a letter like this? Doesn’t make any damn sense.” 

“Because w-we’re friends, kind of, and he doesn’t want me in danger.” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously but, before she could say anything, he swallowed and asked, “Can you, um, get off me? Please? You’re… Really close to me right now, n-not that I’m complaining, but...”

“Oh...” She blinked and flushed, then pushed off him and glared as if he was to blame. Or like she was afraid of something, though he couldn’t guess at what exactly. “Just… Forget about that, okay? And don’t tell her.”

“Her…?”

“Yeah, the girl, Neo.” He made a little ‘o’ of realization and nodded, and the woman groaned. “Oh my god, you’re just… Just don’t tell her about any of this. The hassle, and the threats, and- Just please, alright?”

“I won’t say anything.” Was Neo really that scary even to these people that they would react like this? And what the hell was this letter, anyway? Whatever, he couldn’t tell her about them without spilling the proverbial beans about how he was helping anyway. “You have my word and an Arc never goes back on his word.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” She sighed and relaxed, though, turning and waving for him to follow her. 

‘Junior’ was a bear of a man, sitting behind a desk in a normal looking office when they found him. He grunted a short, tired greeting as Jaune was shown in and then patiently listened to Miss Malachite’s explanation of things and then his own. The woman left out her threats so he left out the trouble he’d had getting in. When they finished, the man’s frown deepened and an eyebrow rose, like he knew they weren’t being honest. But he simply shrugged and let it go, relaxing after a second.

When Junior asked he produced the little envelope and handed it to him, watching the man grimace at the stamp and then give him a nod.

“Melanie, head to the vault and get our friend here a payment.” Junior sighed, opening the letter and reading it with a little frown. “Eight hundred Lien should do for the trouble getting here.”

“E-Eight hundred?!”

“Not enough?” Jaune spluttered, trying to explain that it was too much, and the man grunted. “A thousand then. Melanie, get it done and get back here. I want our friend to get back to Roman sooner than later.”

Half an hour later, with a new envelope full of Lien cards, he was shown to the door and wished well as he left. Shrugging, and ripping the envelope open to put the cards in his wallet since paying from an envelope was so suspicious that even he knew better, he left. A couple hours after he left, with a take-out bag of chocolate chip pancakes under an arm, he pushed open the door to Roman’s apartment again.

And then he sighed, and made his way to the kitchen while trying very hard to ignore his friend’s yoga.

“Neo, do you have to do that now?” He groaned, ignoring the silent laugh the currently upside down, dangerously underdressed girl gave him. 

‘Now is when my favorite show comes on, and it’s relaxing to do this.’ How she could be comfortable on her elbows with her legs folded back along her back to rest on her shoulders, he didn’t know. Smiling in spite of her strange and very revealing posture, she signed, ‘You’re just mad about my shorts, aren’t you?’

“T-They're barely there, Neo!” He flushed, “Like, at least some sweatpants or a shirt with sleeves instead of those noodles would be nice.

‘They’re not as comfy.’ She smiled, ‘I like my boy shorts and tank better.’

Sighing, Jaune shrugged and turned, storming out of the living room while she watched silently. Trying very hard to scald the images burned into his retinas out, he unpacked the pancakes he’d gotten for them all, stuck a fistful in the fridge for Roman.

Setting out plates he called out, “I got chocolate chip pancakes, Neo, if you-” The girl was in a seat, eyes wide and staring at the breakfast, before he could even finish and he chuckled. 

‘Sorry if my teasing bothered you.’ The girl signed a few minutes later, watching him closely. He blinked, taking a bite and giving her a look and she grimaced, signing slowly. ‘I didn’t mean to make you mad, but you seemed mad.’

“I wasn't mad.” He assured her, grimacing and admitting, quietly, “I was just, you know…” He met her eyes and she blinked innocently, cocking her head and letting the ponytail she slept with fall over a shoulder. Sighing, “I was embarrassed, that’s all. You just caught me off guard, so… I dunno.”

‘Oh.’ She signed, blinking and then smiling thinly, playfully spinning a fork on her palm. ‘Sorry I got you all flustered then. Guess it can’t be helped, though. I’m so adorable.’

“Yep.” He smiled, taking a bite and giving her a look. If she wanted to play this game this early… “Can’t be helped when I walk in on the most beautiful girl in Vale doing her stretches, I guess. Any man would get a little flushed. Most women, too, probably. Maybe even a few rocks.”

‘Yep.’ She signed, flushing slightly and narrowing her eyes at his teasing. She knew what he was up to, then, as little as it mattered that she did without a viable way to counter. ‘Well, at least you have good taste.’

“Yep.” He smiled, feeling just a bit daring and grinning. Her eyes widened at the smile, knowing what was coming even before he added, feigning an almost wistful tone. “Not that I’ve gotten a real taste, of course. At least, not yet.”

This time, Neo flushed cherry red, signing randomly and rapidly for several moments while he laughed. Eventually, she gave up and threw her fork at him, signing, ‘Dick’ as she stood and pouted her way out of the room. Still smiling, Jaune rose and took their dishes to the sink to scrub them clean before he returned to the living room. Stretching out on the couch he took the remote and touched the volume up on Neo’s cartoon.

A minute later, she vaulted the couch to land in his lap, dressed in her leotard and nothing else. Flushing and lurching up to catch her, he stammered, “N-Neo, what- Why are you- L-Leotard!”

‘You took my spot.’ She shrugged, wiggling against him until she was laid over top of him, stretched out on the couch. Smiling up at him she signed, ‘Also, you’re warm. I like warm and it’s kind of cold.’

“Pants fight off the cold!”

‘Pants are uncomfortable.’ 

“A-Aura can block out temperatures!”

‘Effort.’ She signed back, wiggling against him purposefully and smiling at the thin whine he let out, his arms folded across his chest tightly, lest they touch anything soft and feminine. Gently, she tugged one off and draped it over her shoulder and side like a blanket, smiling, ‘Much better. Nice and warm and comfortable. You make a good couch, Jaune.’

All Jaune could do was whine pitifully, and regret, once again, daring to tease Neo.

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Not as much Neo in this chapter, sorry ‘bout that, but some much needed plot stuff.

And I mean ‘actual’ plot not ‘Neo’s two plots’ plot, either. Lol.

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	6. A Lot of Truth

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Jaune stepped in, thrusting the hard point of his sword for his partner’s face as hard and fast as he could manage. She ducked back only an inch, as though she knew exactly how far his thrust could go, and then stepped to the side and into his guard. He brought his shield across his chest, arm pressed tightly against his ribs, and felt her own shield slam rim first into it so hard his arm ached through steel and Aura both.

It forced him back and away and Pyrrha followed, ducking under one flailing, warding slash and catching the second on her sword-side vambrace. Her shield snapped out again, and up, towards his jaw. His own shield met it, if only just, catching it nearly on the rim and forcing her attack aside. In the second that bought him, he snapped his shield forward and into her stomach, shoving her back.

“You’ve improved.” Pyrrha nodded as she stepped back, bouncing on her heels gently and smiling. She rapped her pommel against her shield and added, “You fight more with your shield.”

“My, uh, my friend’s training is kind of harsh.” He shrugged, shaking his shield arm to clear the numbness as best he could. It didn’t do much, but he ignored it, circling with Pyrrha and smiling. “She doesn’t exactly let up, so I had to learn to fight however I could. Like… Yang, or you, if you were as fast as Ruby can be. But, all the time.”

“Sounds exhausting.”

“And painful, and challenging, and terrifying.” He laughed, shaking his head, “But she’s helped me a lot. I owe her.”

“Your balance, footwork and shield skills have certainly improved.” Pyrrha nodded, smiling and flicking her gaze down to his carefully moving feet. “And you are far better with your sword than you were before, to say the very least.”

“I mean, I wasn’t that bad.” He smiled, watching her flick her sword and set it spinning in the palm of her hand. A Semblance exercise, and a bit of a distraction, but one he knew better than to try and take advantage of. “Was I?”

“Oh yes, very much so.” The Mistralian answered, laughing and shaking her head at the question. He frowned and she smiled, head cocked to the side and voice teasing as she spoke, “Disarming you used to be easier than breathing, sometimes, Jaune. Winchester had better footwork than you, and-and the one time you sparred with Ruby, she managed to trip you because you didn’t mind your legs.”

“Shit didn’t trip me.” Jaune argued playfully, “She hit the back of my knees with a twenty pound scythe at something near Mach One.”

“She wasn’t going nearly that fast.”

“Well, I mean, it felt like she was...” He laughed and Pyrrha joined him, bouncing her shield arm as she did. 

A little signal of hers he’d learned to read that told him she was getting ready to fight again. It was small, the motion only ever lasted for a few seconds, but it was enough. 

“Guard.” She prompted, a heartbeat before she shot towards him like a red-headed bullet from a gun.

His shield snapped up to catch hers and he turned, letting the metal scrape along his shield as her momentum carried her by him. He thrust in at her back but she anticipated it, turning and bringing her sword between them to bat the attack aside as she spun. He stepped back as she readied herself, raising his own shield at the same time she did.

The Mistralian was never one to favor defense, though, and sure enough she launched at him a heartbeat later. Her shield struck his again and sparked off, replaced by her sword and then her shield again as she spun, slamming a flurry of blows into his shield as fast as she could. Which it turned out, for Pyrrha Nikos, was very fast. Not quite Ruby fast, or even Neo fast if she decided to be vicious and use her Semblance, but still very fast.

Still, he was used to defending by now, and took the strikes with ease. He gave the ground he had to, kept his shield up, and even managed a couple probing, ultimately useless thrusts of his own on occasion. But, he had an idea. One he’d had for a while, honestly, but it was one he didn’t fancy trying against Neo.

Dropping to a knee, he tossed his shield at her, making Pyrrha stop to bat it aside with her own. It clanged across the roof and into the rooftop access door. Gripping his sword in both hands, he slammed it up, into the rim of her shield as it came down to defend her. His sword clanged against it, sending shockwaves through his hands and arms that numbed them so much he almost couldn’t keep a hold on it.

Almost.

Barely hanging onto it, he leaped, slamming into Pyrrha with every possible ounce of his force. A surprised noise was cut off in a grunt and she feel, the spar turning into a grapple as he wrestled on top of her and she tried to get him off. Finally, he felt himself yanked up and away, Pyrrha scrambling back from him with a hand raised up, palm towards him. His feet hit the ground, but at an angle, so he stumbled back and away, falling a few feet away with a grunt and a groan.

Everything ached, now, from the struggle and all the kicks, knees and everything else that had gone into it. And how many times he’d slammed something into hard armor, hurting himself, of course. Neo would get a kick out of it when he told her about it. If he told her about it, that was... 

“Should look at getting armor myself…” He groaned, thinking back on just how many times he had slammed something into her armor and hurt himself. He could hear heels on concrete a moment before he saw Pyrrha standing over him, smiling but worried. “Hey, Pyr. What’s up?”

“Not you.” He smiled, offering him a hand and then pulling him up when he took it. “Are you alright?”

“I am, yeah.” He nodded, rolling his shoulder and moving to get his shield back. Turning as he went, he pointed a finger at her and smiled, “I made you use your Semblance, finally.”

“I will have you know that I use it all the time.” She argued, pulling his shield away from him and towards her when he stooped to pick it up as if to prove it. She caught it in a hand, her weapons on her back, and smiled, holding it out for him. “That was the first time you managed to make me use it against you, though.”

“Yeah.” He smiled, taking the shield from it and sheathing his sword at his waist with it. “I’d say that’s progress. And hey! I knocked you down, too.”

“You tackled me, Jaune.” He laughed at the correction and the woman rolled her eyes, turning for the edge of the roof and sitting there. 

“Still counts.” Jaune smiled at her laugh, sitting beside her with their legs dangling off the ledge. After a quiet moment watching the city in the distance, Jaune sighed and mused, “You know, six months ago I would have been terrified sitting like this.”

“With your legs hanging off the roof five floors up?”

“No, alone with a pretty girl I know likes me as more than what we are.” Pyrrha flushed and he laughed, shaking his head at her rather good impression of a fish. 

“I-I didn’t- I mean, I don’t-” Finally, Pyrrha sighed, crossed her arms and pinched the bridge of her nose, “H-How did you…?”

“One of my best friends is a mute, Pyr. Reading body language and watching for when she’s looking at me are things I’ve had to learn how to do to be able to spend time with her.” Left unsaid, for her sake as well as his own, was how often he’d caught her little looks at him. “I figured… We should talk about it, is all.”

“Do we have to?” She sighed, bringing a leg up and hugging it against her chest, the heel balanced on the edge of the roof. “It’s clear you don’t feel the same way… Not with how you’re phrasing your words.”

“I don’t.” He saw her deflate and grimaced, already feeling guilty for the pain he’d caused. “You’re a wonderful partner, Pyrrha. And my best friend. But when I look at you, I see my best friend. Someone to spend time with, fight beside- Hell, I’d die for you, if I had to.”

“Don’t talk like that.” She chided sharply, eyes narrowing angrily. “You ought not be flippant about death, Jaune.”

“I’m not- What I mean is I love you, Pyr, but I’m not in love with you.” He explained, giving the woman his full attention. Her face was flat, almost impassive, but he could tell she was listening from her little nod. And the pain on her face, pain he’d knew would come as much as he wanted to avoid it. Quietly, he added, “I just… Figured it would be better to have that out in the open. I don’t want you hurting for weeks on end because I don’t respond to you the way you want.”

“I know, and… And I thank you for that.” She smiled sadly, giving him a genuinely grateful look, even if he could see the sadness in her eyes. “Even in this, you treat me like everyone else. With all the kindness you can, and complete honesty. That’s why I feel this way, you know. You’re so kind and genuine, I just… I’ve never experienced a friendship like ours.”

“I believe it, from what you’ve told me.” He answered, “And that’s why I wanted to talk to you about this. I don’t want secrets between us, Pyr. Not ever. We’re partners.”

“You and I against the world, hm?” Pyrrha asked. He could hear the ache in her voice, still, but like he’d expected of her, she was pushing on. Ever the stalwart champion, even if he had a feeling she’d lock the bathroom door later. 

“I’d like that, yeah.” He answered, smiling brightly at her and then turning his gaze out on the distant city once more. “Ever since you told me how Partners work, what they are, I’ve wanted that.”

“I suppose I can be content with that.” She nodded, “I… Always wanted genuine friends, and a partner I could trust.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that you’re hurting.” He offered genuinely, watching her blink slowly and take a long, deep breath beside him. “One day, though, you’ll-”

“Oh, please don’t start with the cheesy platitudes, Jaune.” The woman sighed, turning a playful little smile on him and raising her eyebrows. “If you start, I will throw you off this roof.”

“That’s pretty violent…”

“We were just bearing each other up with swords and shields, Jaune.” The woman laughed, bumping her elbow into his playfully. “Also, I know how much Aura you have. You’ll almost certainly survive me launching you at the ground from this height even if I happen to use my Semblance to speed you along.”

“Y-Yeah.” He laughed awkwardly, jokingly scooting out of her reach and earning a brighter, more honest kind of laugh.

“So…” He gave her a look and Pyrrha smiled, “That trick you used. Where did you learn that?”

“Neo taught it to me.” Sort of. In reality, she’d just used it on him, latched onto him, and then hurled him across the room. He could do the first part, though, he’d hoped. And hey, it had worked! “I figured, if I can’t out skill you, maybe I should just rely on my weight.”

“A good trick, if used rarely.” She nodded, seemingly more comfortable now they’d moved on to talk about training again. “But don’t use it too often. If you do, I, and others, will begin to expect it. Then again, that expectation could itself be an advantage if you want to be clever and play the long game.”

“Like how you mask your Semblance?”

“Exactly.” She nodded, “A long, strategic move. But one I imagine you won’t need, unless you intend on joining the tournament circuits?”

“Nah, that’s… Not my thing.” He waved her off, flopping back on the roof and sighing. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing to do, his armor resting awkwardly under him, but the stars were pretty. “I want to be a Huntsman, not a champion fighter. I want to, you know, do something.”

“Ahem.” She coughed, giving him a look over her shoulder, eyebrows raised challengingly.

“Um…” He laughed awkwardly, “No offence?” 

“None taken, Jaune.” She laughed, laying her weapons on the ground beside her and laying back with him, looking up at the stars. For a while, they were quiet, simply watching the stars and the clouds, and enjoying the peace and quiet. Finally, though, Pyrrha spoke, “I was… Going to ask you to the dance, you know.”

“I’m sorry, I just-”

“I know, but… No secrets between partners, right?” She turned to see his nod and smiled. It was an odd smile, though. Like she was sad, disappointed, but ultimately content with how things had come to end. “That was my plan, though, to train with you and then ask you to it. I doubt I would have gone through with it, cowardly as I am.”

“You’re not a-”

“Not in a fight, no, but in this?” She laughed, bumping her arm against him so he knew she didn’t think too terribly of herself for it. “I have been terrified for a couple weeks, Jaune, knowing that the dance existed and what I wanted from it. And yet, I did nothing. Said nothing. Only your attentiveness brought the topic up.”

“Yeah.” He nodded, “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be.” She sighed, “It is for the best. I can move on, now, with only a few regrets.”

“But you do have some…?”

“Only that, all this time, a simple conversation would have solved the problem. Or, well, ended it at least.” She waved him off when he started to say something, though, turning a warm smile on him. “Leave it, Jaune, please. You’ve made your position known, and done so respectfully. I’m going to be fine, so don’t fret over me.”

“If you say so.” He trusted her, so he wouldn’t pry unless things got awkward or she seemed to be hurting. For now, he turned them back to the spar and asked, “So, what do you think? I’m improving, right?”

“Very much so.” Pyrrha smiled, “Though, I wonder if it is my tutelage or your... Friend’s which is doing you so much good.”

“You and Neo are both amazing teachers, Pyrrha, you don’t need to worry about that.” They were so different that fighting each of them, and learning from each of them, was worlds apart in difference. Pyrrha seemed unconvinced, though, so he shuffled over and explained, talking as much with his hands as not. “Just… Okay, so, you use a shield and a sword, or sometimes a spear, against me. And, generally, you fight from in front of me. Fast, hard hits, but all in front of me. On the ground.”

“Right.” She answered, if only to assure him she was listening at all. 

“Well, Neo, she bounces around. Hits me from every side, like lightning. She kicks, she grapples.” He sounded excited, he was sure, but honestly it terrified him every time he fought her. “She’ll slap me, and she uses this little rapier to fight, but no shield. Just Mister Stabby.”

“M-Mister Stabby?!”

“Yeah, Neo’s… Kind of funny like that, sometimes.” The whole weapon, umbrella and all, was called Hush, according to Roman. But she insisted that her straight sword was Mister Stabby. And he knew better than to argue. “But between the two of you, I’m learning a lot.”

“Mhm.” Pyrrha hummed, clearly thinking about something else. But she still asked, quietly, “So, Neo uses a one handed rapier, does she?”

“Yeah, it’s kinda small, but it does its job.” He nodded, smiling, “She’s kinda small, too, but she hits like a truck. With and without Mister Stabby.”

“You’re heading back into Vale to spend the weekend with her again, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, we have training and I might have some part time work to do.” Assuming Roman had any letters he wanted delivered, that was. Or anything else that was strictly speaking legal that the man might need done. “Why do you ask, though?”

“Because, well…” The woman took a breath, like she was anxious, “Because I think it’s time your partner meet these friends you spend so much time with.”

“I-I don’t think that’s a good idea, Pyr.” He answered, suddenly anxious and cursing the little stammer it gave him. The woman sat up and looked down on him, clearly displeased and demanding a reason why he would think that. “I mean, you’re famous. And they live down in the warehouse districts, Pyr. What will people think if they see you down there?”

“I will tie my hair in buns, and wear a hood.” She answered simply, “With pants and baggy clothing, my identity will be easily concealed. I did this fairly often in Mistral.”

“I just don’t think-”

“Jaune, what are you hiding?” She asked suddenly, tucking her legs under her and turning to look down on him worriedly. “You disappear every weekend, into an area everyone knows is filled with criminals, and now seem incredibly against me meeting friends of yours. Ren and Nora don’t know them, either. Nor do team RWBY.”

“I’m not hiding anything bad, I just-”

“Not anything bad? So you are hiding something, then.” Pyrrha argued, sighing and shaking her head, “Jaune, you can trust me. Just… Tell me the truth, please. You said there should be no secrets between us.”

“...You have to swear, you won’t tell anyone.” She opened her mouth to speak and he sat up, straight as a ramrod. “I mean it, Pyr. You’re not going to like the truth if I tell you, but I trust you enough to keep the secret if you promise to.”

“You already told me about your transcripts…” She murmured, her confused eyes searching his grim face for a long, long moment. Finally, though, she sighed and nodded, “Very well, then. I swear, what you say lives and dies with me, Jaune. I won’t breathe a word of it, even on pain of death or dishonor.”

“Alright, alright.” He sighed, turning so he was once more sitting with his legs dangling off the roof. “You’ve seen the wanted lists, right?”

“Yes, of course, there are some posted in the main foyer of…” She blinked, suddenly, as if realizing something that answered a slew of questions. Or, from her resigned sigh, confirmed some suspicions. “This ‘Neo’ is short for ‘Neopolitan’ isn’t it?”

“It is, yeah…”

“It makes sense.” Pyrrha sighed, sounding distinctly pained as she spoke. “She’s a mute, according to the postings, and you’re learning sign language and are very attentive now. She even uses the same weapon you mentioned your friend fighting with. I’d suspected it, but, Gods, I’d hoped I was wrong…”

“Look, they’re not bad people-”

“She’s a criminal, Jaune!” Pyrha argued, hissing the words for fear of being heard. “Criminals tend to be very bad people, in my experience.”

“Am I a bad person then?” She blinked and he pushed on, explaining quickly before she could even try and argue with him. “I falsified paperwork to get into Beacon, Pyrrha. That is a felony, prison time and everything. That gets reported, and I will go to prison. For years. I’m a criminal, just like them.”

“Jaune you are not like them, you’re-”

“Look, you wanted to meet them, so... “ He sighed, standing and running his hands through his hair wearily. “Just come with me tomorrow, then. Meet them, spend some time with us. Neo will probably want to spar with you, put you through the ringer, but… Please. Give them a chance.”

“I don’t like it…”

“For me?” He pressed, smiling, “For your partner?”

“Fine.” She sighed, accepting his hand and letting him pull her upright. Frowning thinly, she promised, “I’ll give them a fair chance, criminals or not. And we’ll… Well, we’ll see how things go from there.”

“Thanks…” He just hoped it would work, and they wouldn’t be furious with him for telling Pyrrha the truth. 

Oh who was he kidding? Neo was going to kick his ass.

XxX----XxX----XxX

An attentive Jaune and a healthy relationship conversation! I figured Arkos training to show Jaune’s improvements, a bit, and let them have some of dat healthy relationship communication.

XxX----XxX----XxX

Elderfire :

Agreed! Except for murder Neo. She’s awesome in her own way, too.

Nine yetis :

I’m trying to strike a good balance between the two.

Scrub Lord :

Thanks!

Dr Killinger :

Silent Knight, believe it or not from my frequency in writing it, isn’t my favorite. I personally prefer Lancaster or Arkos, or Copper Knight if I feel adventurous. But Silent Knight is just as good!

Grannster :

Oh god, yeah he is.


	7. On the Way

XxX----XxX----XxX

Official Supporters: 

Priests, The Impossible Muffin, Xager the Chaos King. 

Adeptus, Private Wilger

Ze Nope Rope, Kaiser Snek, Snekiest Snek

Acolytes, DigiDemonLord, Cheeseberry

If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : https://discord.gg/2UZncAm

Second link here, remove ( and ) and it SHOULD work : D(i)scord(.)gg(slash)kfhkfUb

I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.

Beta(s) : 

XxX----XxX----XxX

Like he did every Friday, he gave Nora a big hug at the end of the last lesson of the day and waved his goodbye as she dragged Ren off for dinner. Nora wasn’t a very patient person at the best of times, but Fridays were when they served the Mistralian menu, and she refused to be even a minute behind the rest of the students arriving for dinner. It was mostly fried rice dishes with a variety of meats, or meat wraps using rice, but Nora loved it. Enough to burn through most of her monthly stipend on more than she could eat, boxing up the extra to eat through the weekend.

And Ren loved that it saved him having to cook dinners, so letting her drag him off was a win-win.

“I almost feel bad for him, you know.” His partner murmured beside him, watching the other half of their team vanish in the crowd. Hugging her book bag to her chest she chuckled and smiled thinly, “Nora is a handful for three of us, much less two.And tonight, he will be only one, assuming all goes well.”

“It’ll go fine, Pyr.” He reassured her, patting her on the back and smiling when she stiffened. “Don’t stress out over it.”

“I’m… I’m not stressing out over it.” She tried, sighing weakly and rolling her eyes when he gave her a knowing look. “Right,” she sighed, smiling warmly, “your mute friend has made you far more perceptive than when we met. I’m still adjusting to that, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah.” He nodded, turning to head to their dorm with her. As they walked, he spoke, “You don’t have to be so nervous, though. It’ll go just fine.”

“I mean…” She sighed, hugging her pack against her stomach more tightly as they walked, “I know you know your friends, Jaune, but I don’t. I can’t know this will go well, beyond trusting your words. And them. And considering who we’re meeting…”

“They’re not bad people, Pyr.” He sighed again, “Even if you don’t get along, they’ll just want you to… You know.”

“Stay quiet?” She guessed, dropping her tone as they entered a sparsely populated hallway. The last one, before they reached their dorm’s hallway at least, which was empty with everyone off for dinner. “Protect their little havens? Enable them?”

“Don’t say it like it’s some… Horrible evil, Pyrrha.” He argued, giving her a look, his brows furrowing with his own kind of anxiety now. She frowned, avoiding his gaze entirely, and he sighed, “Just… Please, just trust me, Pyrrha. If these were really bad people, you know I’d turn them in, friends or not. Even with what that would mean for me.”

“I know, Jaune.” She smiled more warmly, this time, and relaxed her crushing hold on the innocent bag of books in her arms. “I know, I promise.” She reiterated seriously, “There’s just… Well, there’s a lot going on, in my head, right now. Like, a lot, and a lot of emotions beside it.”

“I get that.” He nodded, trying to be satisfied with it. “I’m just… I guess I’m anxious, too. About what you’ll do, how you’ll get along with my friends. I love you, Pyr, like an eighth sister. A-And I love them, too. And I just… Want everyone I care about so much to at least tolerate each other, even if they don’t get along.”

“I know.” She nodded as they reached their dorm and she fished out her Scroll to unlock it for them. “I will try,” she promised, “if only because you asked me to, Jaune. I make no promise as to the results of my trying, but I will try nonetheless.”

“Thanks, Pyr.” He smiled, giving her a simple, one-armed hug as he brushed by and into the room. She stiffened at the affection, surprised more than anything from what he could see on her face, but relaxed after a second. Dropping his bag on his bed he went to get his spare clothes and said, over his shoulder, “I’ll grab the first shower if you’re fine with it? We have about an hour before our flight.”

“I was… Going to use the communal shower, actually.” Pyrrha answered, waving a hand at Crocea Mors at the foot of his bed. “I supposed I would use the chance to retrieve Milo and Akouo. And beside the matter, a hot shower to relax for a time sounds nice before our, well, our venture.”

“Works for me.” He shrugged, grabbing his city clothes and turning for their shower before pausing and offering quietly, “I’ll see you when I get back?”

“Mhm.” The woman nodded, gathering up her own clothes in a simple Beacon backpack and turning for the door.

He watched her go without another word, pulling the door shut behind her with a quiet little click and then the buzz of the electronic lock settling in. A moment passed and he sighed, plopping down on his bed and resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Gods, this was not how he’d planned to start his weekend… Okay, maybe the ‘Neo kicking his ass’ part that he was pretty damn sure was coming was, but all the stress with Pyrrha?

Yeah, no, definitely not something he had in his plans.

“It’ll be worth it in the end.” He didn’t add the ‘hopefully’ part for fear of jinxing it and stood, headed for their bathroom.

A hot shower sounded very nice, right about now…

XxX----XxX----XxX

Like always, he tucked his light armor into the bottom of his pack, under his spare clothes, and pulled on the rest of his mostly normal looking outfit. 

His jeans were rather plain in appearance, but well made and sturdy. It looked basically the same as his older pants did, but was a darker blue and made for a Huntsman, with thicker layers of insulated denim that would hold up well against wear and tear as well as the hits he’d take. His hoodie, though, was… Well,just one of half a dozen matte black hoodies he’d bought with the money he got from Roman.

The lack of his technically not trademark since he’d get sued if he said that Pumpkin Pete rabbit on the front was kind of a problem, but...

“Well, at least it’s warm.” He murmured, pulling the hood up just to see how it felt. It was thick and larger than he needed, strictly speaking. Large enough that he could hide his face and hair in it easily enough. 

“As little as I need to do that…” He chuckled, “Probably better people downtown recognize me, honestly. Then they know not to mess with me, thanks to Neo.”

And Roman too, he supposed.

But he was pretty certain it was mostly because Neo was the single most terrifying, stab happy little murder loli in the Kingdom of Vale.

A knock at the door tugged him out of his musings and he sighed, taking a seat at the end of the bed and checking that he had everything one last time. Knowing it was still way too early for Nora to be done eating, and that Ren would very much not leave her behind, he called out, “I’m decent, Pyr.”

“Alright.” He heard her muffled voice, the door swinging open as she stepped into the room, her weapons tucked under one arm with her bag slung over her shoulder. Smiling as the door shut she asked, sheepishly, “How does this do, then? Do I look alright?”

Pyrrha’s outfit was simultaneously as subtle as she was likely capable of being and entirely on brand, ready for a fight.

Like Pyrrha had told him, she knew how to dress down to avoid catching eyes, at least for the most part. Her long, normally flashy hair had been tied up in a pair of tight buns on either side of her head, set back just a hair from her ears to frame her circlet which in turn framed her face quite well. For her top she was wearing thick, very baggy navy blue hoodie that, like his, had a hood large enough for her to hide in.

She’d foregone her customary red sash but not, he noticed, her A-line combat skirt, which hugged her waist as tight as always. Under the skirt she wore relatively simple, very snugly fitted black denim pants, accented nicely by patterns of swirling red leaves that began on her outer thighs and flowed down to her calves. The pattern was cut off by, of all things, heavy leather military boots, kind of like what he’d seen Atlesian soldiers wearing downtown whenever he happened to notice them.

“You look… Great.” He said after a moment, looking her over and smiling at her little blush. Smiling, he added, “Very sneaky, but definitely still… You, enough to not be weird.”

“As I said, I know how to dress for when I’m going out and don’t want to be seen.” She smiled, moving to her own bunk across the room and setting her bag down on it. “I just need to pack away my weapons and we can go. We are on time, yes?”

“Yeah, we’re fine.” He nodded, watching her work on getting her shield and rifle into her bag. “About fifteen minutes and our ride will leave. Tickets are handled, we’ll get dropped off near enough to the warehouse district. And the apartment.”

“Apartment?”

“Yeah.” He chuckled, “I mean, where did you think they slept?”

“I don’t suppose I had thought about it much.” She shrugged, “Though… I would have wagered motels and warehouses rather than proper apartments, if I had been made to do so.”

“Watch a lot of old spy movies do we?” He joked, laughing when the woman straightened and turned a playful, pouting little glare on him, “Hey, it’s fine, don’t look like you’re about to kill me or anything. I said the same thing the first time Neo told me where the apartment was.”

“Oh?” She blinked, zipping up her backpack and half turning to ask him, “And how did that go?”

“Roman laughed at me, and Neo kicked the back of my knee so I fell over.” He shrugged, and then laughed when Pyrrha’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and, he could tell, a bit of worry. “I wasn’t noticing her trying to talk to me, so she… Well, took the fast route to me noticing that she wanted to talk.”

“Why not just say something-” She blinked, “Ah, right, mute.”

“Yeah.” He smiled, “You’ll get used to that, don’t worry. You know, eventually.”

“I… Suppose so. If all goes well.” She said quietly, pulling her full pack onto her back and giving him a smile. “Shall we get going, then? I’d… Hate to be late meeting your friends, after all. And missing our flight would be, well, a bit problematic, no?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, swallowing the last of his anxiety and tugging his pack on, “Let’s get going.”

They were lucky enough that the transport Jaune had bought his ticket on had a few spare seats for the evening. Technically speaking, Bullhead pilots didn’t have to sell additional tickets at the launch pad. And most would refuse to, since that meant extra paperwork that had to be filed on the quick to get logged in time for the daily reports to be properly written up. For obvious reasons, Beacon Academy liked to keep track of when students and faculty came to or left the Academy’s grounds. 

A few months ago, Jaune would have said it was in case either needed help.

Now? He was just cynical enough to pin it on insurance policies.

The pilot of his own Bullhead was much the same, a stickler for the rules and making life easier for himself. And, from what he could tell, a very healthy anxiety about messing up his paperwork and earning a visit from the Headmistress to rectify the issue. Unfortunately, that meant that just because he had the Lien for a ticket didn’t mean the man wanted to sell him one. Not without a massive raise in the ticket price, at least, which Jaune wasn’t sure as something that the pilots were allowed to mess with.

Luckily, the man was a Pyrrha Nikos fan, and an autograph for his daughter was well worth the effort he’d have to go through later.

“It’s fine, Jaune.” Pyrrha reassured them as they walked through the warehouse district, passing through the outer portions of it on their way to Roman’s favorite apartment. He sighed and she smiled, going on, “I do not enjoy leveraging my fame, but sometimes it can be... Quite useful.”

“Yeah.” He nodded, though he knew better than to think it was the kind of useful he could actually use regularly.

She’d despise that, and he would too.

For a while they walked in quiet, enjoying the evening breeze even if it was just a bit chilly. Their hoodies offered decent enough protection against that, though, even if Jaune was sure they’d probably need proper coats inside a couple weeks. Unless they just wanted to let the temperature eat at their Aura constantly, which… Didn’t seem anything but wasteful, frankly, in his opinion.

After a while, though, he noticed Pyrrha starting to get tense. She walked with her head down, feet avoiding every crack in the road like a game meant to distract her. Her shoulders were scrunched up, too. Like she was expecting to get hit, or something, and flinching ahead of it.

Which was twice as strange since Pyrrha never cared if something was about to hit her.

More than just worried, he asked, “Are you okay, Pyr?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” She said, giving him a weak attempt at a reassuring smile. 

“Pyr.” He murmured, giving her a concerned and unconvinced look. “What’s wrong? Are you getting anxious about the-”

“No, I’m not- I mean, I’ve been anxious about that the entire time, but that isn’t the problem right now, Jaune.” She sighed, flicking her gaze around them as they passed another alleyway and turned onto the last street, where Roman’s apartment actually was. “I feel like my, you know, disguise isn’t working.”

“Really? I thought it was a great disguise...” He blinked, looking around them and catching a handful of passersby looking away from him anxiously, like they were afraid to get caught. Chuckling, he explained, quietly, “You don’t need to worry about it, partner.”

“You sound so certain.” She murmured, giving him a questioning, though not disbelieving, look from under her hood. “How could you possibly know for sure?”

“They’re looking at me, Pyr, not at you.” He explained simply, clasping his hands behind his head and sighing, ignoring the curious, and sometimes concerned, looks as he always did. “I mean, it makes sense, if you think about it.”

“How so?”

“I’m not hiding who I am.” He had his hood up, of course, with the chill. But unlike Pyrrha he hadn’t tucked it down, tight against his head, to hide in it. “Down here, I’m a known face. Even if my name isn’t really known, or all that much about me, they know that people avoid me. Heck, I bet some of them don’t even know why they do besides the fact that other people do it.”

“People do it because they see others doing it.” Pyrrha summarised, “It’s instinctive, and sensible, to act in accordance with what you see others doing.”

“I don’t know about that.” That kind of thinking led to some really bad places, he’d come to understand. Even if he knew for a fact that pyrrha would never use it to make any of them, it was still there. “But yeah, that’s what they’re doing. Just… Following the herd, so to speak.”

“I see…”

“Most of it is tradition and reputation more than, like, actual violence or anything, you know, bad like that.” He explained for her, like how Roman had explained it for him weeks and weeks ago by now. As they got closer to the apartment he slowed, wanting to explain this before they got there. Pyrrha, walking beside him, slowed to match and listen while he spoke. “It’s just… How things have always been. Roman, Neo, some of their friends and all of their rivals, they all have power. Money. And you respect that.”

“It sounds like how Weiss speaks of her family being treated.” Pyrrha offered, “Respect because they have money and power, and you respect those things A bit circular logic, I think, but an old kind.”

“Yeah.” He nodded, “And don’t get me wrong, Neo would hurt someone if they threatened Roman. Or me. She’d probably enjoy it, too, but that’s just how she is.”

“Not instilling a lot of confidence in me, Jaune…”

“Right, yeah, uh…” He blinked and blew out a long breath, trying to think of a way to explain what he meant. He was terrible at words, he knew, but he had to at least try. And besides, Pyrrha listened to him, “She likes fighting like Yang does, I guess, but with a bit more of a… Vindictive kind of bent to it, if you’ve done something to someone she likes. Or threatened it.”

“I… Suppose I can find little fault with that.” She hummed, coming to a stop a step after he did and giving him a confused look. “Jaune?”

“We’re, uh, here.” He laughed, waving a hand at the completely normal looking, if a bit weathered, apartment building. 

“It’s…” She blinked, “So normal looking.”

“Yup.”

“I mean, like…” Pyrrha laughed, shaking her head, “There are planters in the windows, Jaune. Planters.”

“Yeah, I’m planning on putting in some perennials once spring comes rolling around.” He shrugged, smiling as he watched some of the anxiety leave his partner. Melting away in the face of something both concrete and normal, instead of whatever her imagination could drum up. Smiling still, he went on, “Roman doesn’t mind me doing it, he says. And hey, gardening can be pretty fun, sometimes.”

“You garden?”

“Country bumpkin.” He shrugged, “Part of me wants to put tomatoes in some of those planters, come spring.”

“I’m sure they’d be delicious.” She laughed, shaking her head and then, after a moment, sighing. Quietly, she asked, “I… Suppose we should go in. They’re expecting us, I presume?”

“Oh yeah.” He was not dumb enough to come and do this without giving them a warning. Sighing and taking the first step up the steps towards the entrance, he waved for her to follow him, “Nothin’ to it ‘cept to do it, I guess.”

XxX----XxX----XxX

More Pyrrha and Jaune scenes, instead of the meet-up scene. 

Sorry ‘bout that, wanted more time to explore anxious Pyrrha a bit and have them get to know each other better now that certain conversations have been had. Also, I was just… Super in the mood for some simple dialogue. 

Sorry ‘bout that, you guys.

Next chapter will have the Neo and Roman stuff back in, no worries and all promises.

XxX----XxX----XxX

Bukkake No Jutsu :

I try to think everything through in stories. Smaller scale ones like this are easier for that, so it tends to come out better and more readily.

Zenith Tempest :

Copper Knight is Penny x Jaune, iirc.

Just a Lazy Sloth Dude :

I do write Arkos, sometimes. Just not in this specific instance.

Nine Yetis :

Ye, as I said earlier, I like to try and stay super involved with the details of each character. Smaller scale stories like this make that easier, so I get to do stuff like that. Is fun!

Nya Nya Kitty Face :

Copper Knight is Jaune x Penny iirc.

Never Real :

The jealousy and secret keeping going wrong is a legit way to set up some early days drama and tension when magic and bs isn’t involved. But in this, I wanted to take a different bent, so *shrugs* s’what I did.

Happy you enjoyed it!


	8. The Weekend

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Official Supporters: 

Priests, The Impossible Muffin, Xager the Chaos King. 

Adeptus, Private Wilger

Ze Nope Rope, Kaiser Snek, Snekiest Snek

Acolytes, DigiDemonLord, Cheeseberry

If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : https://discord.gg/2UZncAm

Second link here, remove ( and ) and it SHOULD work : D(i)scord(.)gg(slash)kfhkfUb

I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.

Beta(s) : 

XxX----XxX----XxX

His hand had only just closed around the doorknob before the door was yanked open, out of his hand. The door swung open with a quiet creak and Jaune smiled warmly, watching pink and brown eyes peek around the edge of the door. Slowly, they looked him up and down appraisingly and he smiled, waving at the small woman. She relaxed at that, one hand poking out around the edge of the door to wave back.

Then, those eyes slid to Pyrrha, standing beside and just behind him, and narrowed suspiciously.

“Um,” Pyrrha started awkwardly, waving, “hello, there.”

“This the bitch?”

“Neo.” He chided gently, giving her an unamused look and folding his arms over his chest. “Be nice. Maybe invite us in?”

“I don’t wanna.” She signed back, pulling the door open and turning around while he choked on air and she trotted away. Over her shoulder, and ignoring his wheeze, she signed, “And you’re always welcome here, Jaune.”

“N-Neo!” He stammered, the girl rounding on him with her brows raised while he gestured at the tight leotard she was wearing, in spite of the cold, “Pants! Guest! First impressions! Why?”

“It’s comfortable.” She shrugged, trotting off on bare feet while he stared after her.

“What did she say…?” Pyrrha asked quietly, sounding… Strangely bemused. When he turned to look at her she cocked her head, “I’m assuming she explained her lack of, um… Pants.”

“Apparently she’s comfortable in just that.” He sighed, following the small woman into the apartment and adding, quietly, “But I think it’s because she’s mad and wants to mess with us. Or me.”

“Would she do that at a time like this...?” Pyrrha asked, pausing to shut and lock the door behind them. “It seems most inopportune, does it not, to… Fool around right now, with stakes as they are. Doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, well, it’s Neo. She’s…. Yeah, it’s Neo.” He shrugged, sighing and running his hand through his hair, using the motion to brush his hood off. “Not the first time I’ve shown up and she’s forgotten that pants are a thing most people wear around the house.”

“Ah.” Pyrrha flushed and then grimaced and sighed, “Well, if that is her way, then… I suppose it would be rude to complain.”

“Eh, do what you want, Pyr.” Jaune shrugged, “This isn’t exactly a polite setting. And honestly, Neo will probably just laugh if you say anything about it, though.”

By the time they got to the living room Neo had already settled in on the couch, bundled up in Jaune’s fleece blanket and surrounded by pillows. All they could see of her was her face, peeking out between the blanket and the pillow she was hugging to her chest. Even so, she scowled as he and Pyrrha entered the room, watching the Mistralian woman ease into a chair by the end of the couch opposite her.

She relaxed a bit, though, when he settled in on the couch beside her.

“So,” Jaune started, glad that at least she was covering up those long legs of hers and at least half pretending to care about first impressions, “Neo, this is my partner, Pyrrha Nikos. Pyrrha, this is my favorite murder gremlin, Neo.”

“Murder… Gremlin?” She murmured, turning a slow gaze on Neo, one brow raised in clear question.

“I mean he’s not wrong.” She signed, Jaune translating for her, “Less murder, more gremlin, though. At least normally.”

“And abnormally?” Neo only smirked and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Pyrrha grimaced and turned to Jaune, electing, it seemed, to ignore that and asking, “Where is, um, our host, then?”

“Out.” Neo signed simply.

“Doing…?”

“Stuff.”

“Such as?”

“I don’t know, really, but maybe he’s sucking a dick like you should.” Jaune only glared at the small woman, refusing to translate the second half of that while Pyrrha looked confusedly between the two of them. After a second she puffed a breath out, blowing a strand of hair out of her face and signed, “He went to get food for dinner. Killjoy.”

“That I’ll translate.” Jaune chuckled, repeating the words for his partner and adding with a smile, “Personally, I’m hoping for home-made tacos.”

“Tacos?”

“Roman makes just, the best home-made tacos.” Jaune nodded, explaining, “Fresh tomatoes and lettuce from a friend of his that lives outside the Walls, then he fries up beef and chicken. Sets it all out on plates on the dining table with the shells and cheese and boom. Done deal. You build your own with whatever you want but the seasonings he uses!”

“He was taught by a Mistrali ex-bandit.” Neo signed, “At least, to cook.”

“I wouldn’t think that banditry made one that great of a chef.” Pyrrha murmured, reclining in her seat ever so slightly and seeming to relax just the tiniest little bit. 

“It doesn’t, but she wasn’t a raider or anything. She was a cook.” Neo explained using him as a proxy, leaning to the side slightly so her pillows pressed against his side. “Bandits hit a lot of farms and villages out in Mistral. She would go with, take her pick of the food stores and kitchens. Wandering around like that, a good cook is valuable, so she learned well.”

“And taught him.” Pyrrha nodded understandingly, chuckling and shaking her head wryly, “A rather unique backstory. Which makes the mundanity of Roman Torchwick being good at making tacos a bit more… Palatable isn’t quite the right word, but you get the gist.”

“Understandable?” Jaune tried, chuckling when Pyrrha shrugged unsurely. After a moment, he said, quietly, “See? Perfectly normal. Right?”

“Aside from being just under naked?”

“Just because you and Jaune both enjoy the view, Nikos.” Neo signed, turning an expectant look on Jaune and then pouting when he didn’t translate it. Flipping him the bird she signed, “Don’t make me get my Scroll and have to embarrass your partner again.”

“I won’t buy you any more cheesecake if you keep misbehaving.”

“Oh, talking about punishing me already, Jaune?” Neo winked and Jaune felt his ears burn red hot, stammering while she wheezed in silent laughter, flopping over across the pillows and the arm of her chair.

Pyrrha, reading Neo’s wheezing laughing and Jaune’s red face, laughed quietly behind a hand and asked, “W-What did she say?”

“N-Nothing!” Jaune rushed to assure her, face burning as he laughed, “S-She didn’t say anything!”

Silently, Neo sat up, wiggling her other arm free of the blankets and pushing the swaddling down under her chest. Silent and as still as she could be, she turned a smirk on Jaune, who stared at her with his lips pressed into a thin, anxious line. Slowly, she made a circle with the fingers of one hand, and raised a single pointed finger to it.

“Oh my goodness…”

“Neo!” He flushed, grabbing one of her hands and pulling it down and to the side, pouting at her. “Behave!” Her eyebrows rose and he added, tentatively, “Please?”

“Fine.” She rolled her eyes, signing with one hand while she tugged the other free of his hand. Once it was free she smiled at him gently so he’d know she wasn’t angry, even if grabbing her hand was kind of like covering her mouth.

“Sorry.” He smiled back as he heard the door open and slam shut, and the sound of rustling plastic. Standing, he asked, “Do you need any-”

“Kid, I think you’ve done more than enough helping this week.” Roman growled tiredly, shuffling through the living room with a dirty overcoat and his arms full of groceries. As he passed by he nodded a curt hello and grunted, “Nikos. I'll have a panic attack over you after I put the groceries away. Good?”

“Alright?” She blinked, turning an owlish look on Jaune as the most wanted man Pyrrha had ever seen shuffled away, laden by taco supplies. In spite of what he was, Pyrrha asked, quietly, “Is he… Alright?”

“I don’t know.” Jaune answered quietly, turning a look on his other, smaller friend, “Neo…?”

“No he isn’t.” She answered quietly, looking Pyrrha dead in the eyes, “We’ve spent years working and working to live well, in spite of where we come from. And now, tonight, he’s playing host to a woman that might just get him killed tomorrow.”

“Get him killed?” Pyrrha scoffed, shaking her head, “How would I possibly-”

“The people Roman works with might not be comfortable with someone as involved and high profile as Roman Torchwick just going to jail.” Jaune explained, more than aware of how things ran in the darker edges of Roman’s world. “Roman isn’t a murderer, he doesn’t tend to kill anyone that doesn’t force him to. But some of the gangs out there…”

“Just knowing certain people’s names is enough to put him on a hit list.” Neo explained slowly, grimacing while Jaune parroted for her, “Or a dozen of them. And in prison, he doesn’t have me to protect him. Then they’d come for his friends, to keep revenge out of play.”

“So if you decide to turn them in…” Jaune let it trail off, giving Pyrrha a meaningful look for a moment.

“I see.” She sighed, letting out a breath, “And I suppose that danger is posed to you as well, Jaune?”

“You saw that everyone knows I’m friends with them.” He shrugged simply, ignoring the pillows Neo shoved into him while she wiggled free of her little fortress. Smiling he added, quietly, “And if people come for them… I won’t turn my back on them.”

“Jaune…”

“They’re my friends, Pyr.” He went on as Neo stood, running her thumb along the hem of her leotard to straighten it as she padded away, towards the kitchen. She walked slowly, lazily, though, and he knew it was to hear what else he had to say. So, he said it, “I’d fight and die for you, Ren, Nora, team RWBY… And I’d do the same thing for either of them.”

He met Neo’s eyes at that but she didn’t say anything, instead shuffling into the kitchen quietly, leaving the two of them to their awkward silence.

“What if they end up fighting each other…?”

“I’ll help whichever side looks like it’s going to lose.” He answered simply, “And try to stop the fighting. But I won’t let any of my friends get hurt, Pyrrha. Not if there’s anything I can do about it, at least.”

“None of them?” Pyrrha asked, smiling thinly when he nodded. “My, my, but that is an ambitious goal, Jaune. You do realize most of your friends regularly shoot at each other, try to stab each other, and run off to fight giant monsters. Yes?”

“Yeah, well,” he shrugged, relaxing as the awkwardness died out, “I am not about to try and stop Nora from riding her battle Ursai into battle.”

“No?” Pyrrha joked quietly, “I’m quite sure Ren would enjoy the help, though. I love her to death but Nora is... Not exactly easy to handle.”

“I have one excited little gremlin in my life that I have to deal with.” Jaune laughed, feeling the warmth in his chest when Pyrrha answered in kind and smiled genuinely. Smiling, he pressed, “I also have an amazing Mistralian in my life. And I’d like to, you know, get to keep dealing with both of them.”

“Well…” She sighed, chewed on a lip and, after a second, sighed again, “I suppose so long as they aren’t evil, and I have time to get to know them… I won’t do anything, Jaune.”

“Thank you, Pyr.”

“Don’t thank me just yet, Jaune.” She chided him warningly, “There is nothing to say that tomorrow, or Sunday, I won’t see evidence which changes my mind. I’m just… Surprised, is all, and willing to let them surprise me more. I expected to meet monsters, and instead I met a small girl swaddled in pillows, you know?”

“Yeah Neo… Has that effect on people.” He left unsaid that she only did when she wanted to. Otherwise, she could be terrifying. “Just… Word to the wise? Neo can be very affectionate once she gets to know and like someone.”

“Is that so-”

“Oi.” Roman grunted, shuffling into the room and wafting the heady smell of peppers and meat into the living room. Ignoring Neo hanging on his back like a limpet, her arms draped over the man’s white button up chest and his pilfered hat on her head, Roman asked, “Either of you have anything to say ‘bout rice with the tacos? I’m thinkin’ of frying it, but I can do white if I need to.”

“E-Either is acceptable to me.” Pyrrha murmured, seemingly taken aback either at Neo hanging off of him or at Roman speaking so normally to her. He nodded and, without bothering to wait on Jaune’s answer, vanished back into the kitchen. “Is… That what you meant?”

“Yep.” He nodded, “She’s… A Cuddler. If she likes you enough, she gets like that, sometimes.”

“If she doesn’t?”

“Eh.” He shrugged, smiling thinly and already knowing he’d regret what he was about to say, “She’ll try and stab you, probably.”

“W-What?”

“Joking!” Jaune laughed, standing and shaking his head as he set to work tidying up Neo’s nest now that she didn’t seem inclined to crawl back into it. Smiling, he added, “She doesn’t stab people I like, after all.”

“Implying she would otherwise!” He smiled cheekily and she rolled her eyes and sighed, shaking her head and standing, “Shall we go see if your, er, friends would like any help in the kitchen, then?”

“Nah.” He waved her off, turning for the kitchen, “Just gonna grab a drink while I’m up. Want anything?”

“A glass of water would be quite nice, if you don’t mind.” She nodded, turning for the hallway and tossing over her shoulder, “I’m going to visit the lavatory, if you don’t mind at all.”

“Nah, you’re banned.” She rolled her eyes and left, and Jaune did the same, headed into the kitchen. 

As always when Roman cooked, it was a mess. He wasn’t a very orderly man at the best of times, after all, and when he cooked he ruled with an iron fist. So, no one bothered him about it. Moderately uniquely, though, looking at Roman gave him a great view of something he… Did not want to get caught looking at.

He thought of that just in time to catch Neo looking at him innocently over a shoulder, both eyebrows raised.

He raised his middle finger at her.

She wiggled her eyebrows and her waist, smirking and challenging him.

Jaune blinked first and she laughed silently, dropping off the man and signing, “Nikos?”

“Bathroom run.” He answered, grabbing a purple can of soda and a bottle of water from the fridge and ignoring the way Neo sauntered around the kitchen, obviously amused at him. Instead of addressing that he asked, quietly, “What do you guys think? And don’t,” he added, “say that you think I’m dumb.”

“Old news?” Roman snarked, “Or have you finally gotten how damn stupid this play of yours was through your head?”

“Yes to both.” He smiled, shrugging when Roman gave him a disbelieving look, “I made a mistake. Or, well, a lot of them. But I think this is going well. Don’t you guys? I mean, she’s not freaking out, or attacking anyone, so...”

“Let’s just let it go how it’s gonna go and see what happens.” Roman said simply, grunting, “Neo, strain the meat, would you? I’m gonna chop the veggies while the dumbest Knight in the… Hell, pick a direction, but while he gets his partner. Food’s in five minutes.”

“Sure.” Jaune nodded, “I’ll go get her.”

“And while he washes his damn hands, too!” Roman called after him as he left the room, the blonde knight pausing long enough to flip him the bird before he was gone.

“Here ya go.” He smiled as Pyrrha stepped into the living room and he brushed by. She took the offered bottle of water and he smiled, explaining as quietly as he did quickly, “Dinner will be done in a minute, so feel free to grab a seat. At the dining table or on the couch, it… Doesn’t super matter, really.”

“Oh.” She blinked, and then smiled, “Alright, then. And thank you.”

“Yup.” He nodded, waving a hand over his shoulder, “Out in a few!”

And hey, it was taco night, too. Taco night, everyone was getting along, no one was stabbing anyone yet, and Neo even felt comfortable enough to be her usual self… The evening was going better than he’d thought it was going to, even in his most optimistic leanings. 

Hopefully, it would stay that way.

XxX----XxX----XxX

As always, Jaune was the second to wake up, the sound and scent of crackling bacon drawing him out of his sleep. Feeling a shifting weight on his chest he looked down at a loose mop of pink and brown splayed out over his chest, along with thin but powerful arms hugged around him like a vice. She’d brought her comforter out with her, swaddled in it and nestled in between the back of the couch and his side. He shifted and she whined pitifully, a low, keening sound in the back of her throat that had him stiffen.

“She’s worried.” Roman murmured, Jaune looking up to see the man in his pajamas, leaning on the back of the couch. “About everything.”

“Yeah, I figured...” He sighed, reaching up with his free hand to run his fingers through her hair and straighten it. She stiffened for a moment and then leaned into the contact with a quiet, pleased sigh. “She’s affectionate, but this is something else, so I figured something was up.”

“Yeah.” Roman grunted, walking around the couch and kneeling to gently pry him free of the small woman. She whined and wiggled in sleepy protest but, after a moment, Roman nudged her off him and he rolled off the couch and onto the floor.

“Thanks.” He said as the two of them stepped into the kitchen, Jaune pulling on a clean shirt while Roman went back to cooking. Worried, he asked, “What’s wrong, though? Everything went well last night, so I wouldn’t think she’d be-”

“She’s worried about something else.” Roman sighed, leaning on the stove and watching the bacon sizzle for a long moment. Finally, he asked, “You meant what you told Nikos, right?”

“About…?”

“Protecting Neo.” Roman answered, turning and giving him a level, serious look. There were bags under his eyes, Jaune noticed as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

And bandages on his chest, just barely visible under his shirt.

“You’re hurt, Roman.” Jaune said quietly, drawing a swear from the man as he turned back to cooking. Pushing off the wall, jaune asked, “What is going on, Roman? You’re hurt, Neo is scared and-”

“The person I’m working for is planning on… On doing something bad. Worse than I’m willing to let happen, if I have a chance to stop it.” Roman answered, turning to meet his eyes again and asking, quietly, “So, did you mean what you said? About protecting Neo?”

“About protecting everyone.” Jaune corrected, crossing his arms, “And yeah, I did. Hell, high water, Grimm, whatever.”

“Then I have a bit of a job for you, kid.” Roman said, pulling open a drawer and pulling a small brown package out of it. Setting it on the counter, he tapped it twice and said, quietly, “I need you to get this on Doctor Oobleck’s desk, or in his room maybe. And do it without him realizing it was you, kid. That is more important than you getting it there, honestly.”

“What is it?” He asked, walking across the kitchen to pick it up. Weighing it in his hand he murmured, “Heavier than it looks…”

“What it is doesn’t matter.” Roman answered quietly, tugging a plate over to him and pulling the bacon out of the pan, leaving it on the plate. “And you don’t need to know, either. What you do need to know is that, if you get this to that caffeinated excuse for a doctor, you might just be able to protect everyone.”

“You’re sure?”

“Kid, would I lie?” Roman smirked when Jaune cocked his head to the side. Shaking his head, Roman said, “Who knows? Maybe, just maybe. Will you do it?”

“Of course.” Jaune nodded, tucking the fist sized package under his arm. Quietly, he asked, “Are you going to tell me what happened to your chest?”

“Nope.” The man smiled, setting a bowl of stirred eggs on the counter in front of him and turning to leave, “I’m gonna get changed, kid. Start the eggs for me, I’ll take over so you can shower after.”

“Sure.” Jaune nodded, “Just a sec, though. Gonna stick this in my bag.”

“Sure.” Roman nodded, waiting until he came back to head back to his room to get changed.

What had hurt him so badly his Aura hadn’t already healed it, Jaune didn’t know for certain. But he had a suspicion that it was connected to that ‘Cin’ person the man had talked about before, whoever they were. And they were pressing to do something… Bad. Bad enough Roman was willing to risk acting directly, apparently.

Bad enough he’d asked Jaune for help with it, too.

So, he’d just have to protect them, like he’d said he would.

‘An Arc always keeps his word…’

XxX----XxX----XxX

Dun, dun, duuuuuun.

Plot!

This only exists thanks to ze Supporters of mine. Means a lot, from them and anyone else that enjoys these enough to help.


	9. A Lazy Saturday

XxX----XxX----XxX

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XxX----XxX----XxX

Saturday wound up being little more than a lazy day, one they spent in their pajamas, grazing on left-over tacos. Neo bundled up in her pillow fort again, just as nearly naked as she had been the day before, while Pyrrha settled in on the other end of the couch. Her pajamas were little better than Neo’s leotard, in his opinion, loose fitting and made of a bright red silk that stood out from her skin brightly. 

Ideally, he wouldn’t have to be near either in their states.

But he also wanted someone between them, to keep the claws put away.

“Neo!” Roman called from his room, “Where are my keys?”

“By the door.” She signed, Jaune calling her words out for her as always. “Next to your pocket protector!”

“P-Pocket protector…?”

“It’s a little pistol he keeps in a pocket on the inside of his overcoat.” Jaune explained while Neo flipped through channels, looking for something to watch. Something that preferably wasn’t the news. “It’s not, you know, very good. But it can surprise people, and I think he uses pop rounds.”

“He does.” Neo confirmed for him, signing with her off hand as she settled on some cartoon about a kid in a school for a card game. “He likes it because it blinds them but doesn’t hurt them.”

“Them being…?”

“Cops, civilians that think having a gun means they can do anything, Hunters that he catches off guard…” Jaune shrugged, “He doesn’t want to hurt anyone, so pop! They’re blind and he legs it.”

“Or I bail him out.” Neo added as Roman passed by behind them, signing with a hand high in the air.

“Fuck yourself, Neo!”

“Why should I?” She challenged back, smirking playfully as she sat up and turned, leaning against the back of the couch while Jaune ignored how close his head was to… Things. “Fuck myself? Come fuck me yourself, you coward!”

“Not my type.” Roman laughed, resting a hand on her head and tousling her hair while he deftly dodged her teeth and clawing fingers. Shooting Jaune a grin he added, quietly, “And hey, I wouldn't wanna muscle in on the dumbest knight on Remnant’s territory.”

“R-Roman!”

“Please.” The small woman signed, rolling over and flopping across her seat, her bare legs in his lap. One hand kept signing while the other tugged her blanket into please, “If anything, he’s my territory. Neo doesn’t get claimed.”

“I-I am not translating that!” He flustered, ignoring Pyrrha’s quiet laugh while he pilfered a pillow to lay on Neo’s legs so he had something that wasn’t Neo’s legs to rest his arms on.

“Maybe not,” Roman laughed, sidling around the couch, tucking his coat around him and grinning, “But I will!”

He scowled and flushed, trying to muscle another pillow away from Neo to hurl at the man. But she was either laying on them or holding them tight against her, and glared his way when he reached for any of either. Eyebrows raised, she bobbed a look down at the pillow currently hiding most of her legs, or at least the dangerous parts, and smirked.

Jaune just threw his hands up in surrender, and flipped the thief the bird as he made his way to the door.

“Didn’t know you swung that way, kid.” The man laughed, pitching his hat into the air and onto his head so he could tip it playfully. “Sorry, though,” he smirked, “you’re just a bit too young for me.”

“Go to work!” He laughed, shaking his head as the man sauntered away, hands spread out to either side as he gave a mock bow. He turned to open the door and Jaune shouted as he slipped through, “Have a good day!”

“Is every morning like this, Jaune?” Pyrrha asked in his wake, actually smiling while Neo tuned them out to watch her cartoons. “Sometimes, Roman is already gone come morning, before anyone is up. Sometimes he doesn’t even need to leave. And sometimes,” he prodded Neo’s bare hip, “Neo actually puts on clothes.”

She swatted his hand and signed, quietly, “Cartoon. Silence.”

“So she just…” Pyrrha shrugged, waving a hand at the mute, “She just relaxes at home all day?”

“Most days, yeah.” Jaune nodded, talking quietly to avoid bothering Neo while she watched her shows. “Roman will call her, sometimes, if he needs muscles for a job. But normally, that ends up just being the threat of her being there rather than her… Actually doing something to whoever he’s meeting.”

“Putting a knife to someone’s throat is just as good for stopping them acting out as cutting it.” Neo signed, paying them both the smallest of looks and then shrugging, “And it’s a hell of a lot cleaner, too.”

“I… Suppose that is one way of looking at it.” Her face was pinched, though, even if she forced it to relax into a more diplomatic smile when she saw his raised brow. “I am just happy to know that neither of them are so flippant about, you know… Hurting people. At least not so much as I would have suspected.”

“Judging people from ivory towers works like that sometimes.” Neo signed half-heartedly, “You end up being wrong an awful lot. And a bit bitchy, too.”

“Neo.” He chided, thumping his hand against her hip and drawing narrow eyes from the small woman. Pointing a finger at her, and then snatching it back when she snapped up, trying to nip it, he chided her, “Be nice.”

“I am.” Neo pouted, crossing her arms and wiggling her legs in his lap. “Don’t be mean to me, Jaune.”

“Then don’t be mean to her, Neo.” She got halfway through signing a retort at him before he offered, quietly and more than aware of how much he was cheating,, “If you keep on good behavior, I will buy you an entire cheesecake. Just for you. Chocolate and strawberry swirl, too.”

“...Promise?”

“Promise.” The girl beamed and turned back to her cartoons, wiggling her hips further into his lap and turning to cuddle her pillows while he flushed brightly. Turning stiffly to his partner he asked, “What kind of cake do you want, Pyr? I’m already heading out, and I think I have enough to get us all something.”

“I would like a plain one, if you please.” She smiled, resting her elbow on the arm of the couch and looking between the two of them almost wistfully. “And I do not mind buying our treats for us, Jaune.”

“It’s not that big of a-”

“Jaune, my surplus account currently has quadruple digits.” She interrupted quietly, “And that’s not my professional account, that I use for supplies and travel. Please ,give me an excuse to spend some of it on something sweet and unhealthy.”

“But I’m the one who- Ack!”

“Let her buy me sweets.” Neo signed rapidly, sidling the hip she’d shoved into his gut away into a more comfortable spot on his lap, her legs tucked against the side of his own on his other side. Ignoring that she was basically sitting in his lap, now, she went on, “And ask her if she’ll spot for some scones, too. Been dying for a good scone.”

“She, uh, wants to know if you’ll spring for some scones, too.” He translated, slowly and gently wrapping his hands around her waist and pushing her back up along the couch so that at least her rear wasn’t pressed against him. The girl rolled her eyes but adjusted and Jaune added, “She can be a bit sweet-greedy, sometimes. And you offered, so…”

“I certainly do not mind.” Pyrrha smiled, “And I’ll do one better, and order us dinner as well. I presume delivery is a no go, though?”

“Roman always orders if we want delivery.” Jaune said by way of answer, “He knows places, and people that work there, who won’t spoil the place for us. But if you want, we can all… Head out, get take-out, and bring it back.”

“I’m kinda feeling lazy though?” Jaune smiled apologetically, “Neo?”

“I’ll go out with her if she wants to.” Neo shrugged after a moment, “I don’t mind.”

“It would be a good chance to get to know each other…” Pyrrha murmured, turning a look on the mute and smirking as she folded her arms, her brows raised challengingly. “In private, I mean. Without anyone else to… Interfere.”

“You don’t have to.” Jaune pointed out anxiously, looking between the two women as their gazes intensified. “Who will translate for you, Neo?”

“I have my Scroll.” She waved him off, rolling off of the couch, and him, and straightening. Trotting off as he carton’s ending song played she signed back at them, “I’ll get dressed and cleaned up. Gimme ten minutes.”

“So,” Jaune started a few seconds after she’d gone, and he heard the bathroom door shut, “this is… Going pretty well, right?”

“It actually is, yes.” Pyrrha murmured, sounding genuinely happy and surprised for it. “I’m rather surprised by just how… Mundane this all is. Home-made dinner, discussions of lunch and treats, Saturday morning television- I hadn’t expected such normalcy.”

“Well, I’m glad to have surprised you.” Jaune smiled, turning and starting to clean up Neo’s little nest, like he always did. “It is kinda strange, sometimes, just how normal they are. Even I get a bit caught off guard by it, every now and again.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, setting the pillows in a neat stack at the end of the couch and starting to fold her blankets. “You read the papers, and the bounties, and, you know, all that stuff about them and then… Roman and Neo argue for an hour about whether waffles or pancakes are better.”

“I mean, waffles, obviously.” Pyrrha chuckled, “Though best to not share that particular heresy of mine around Nora.”

“Same.” He chuckled, raising a fist for her to, albeit hesitantly and unsurely, bump. “But yeah, they’re very normal. And it being just a teeny tiny bit weird is normal, too. At least, it’s normal to me-”

“Because you are just a font of normalcy, hm?” Pyrrha teased, shaking her head and standing, moving towards her bag and adjusting her far too loose sleeping clothes as she went. Bending over and forcing him to desperately turn his attention on the new cartoon on the t.v., she dug out her fresh clothes and asked, “Would you stay out of the hall for a moment while I get changed, Jaune?”

“S-Sure.” He nodded, “No problem.”

“Thank you, Jaune.” The Mistralian beamed as she stepped around the couch and vanished into the hallway.

Not for the first time, Jaune whispered a prayer to whatever gods that existed about how many beautiful women he was surrounded by. Whether he was thanking them or cursing at them, even he wasn’t sure. But he certainly had words for them for all of this nonsense that he had to deal with. When he decided he wanted to ‘be the hero and get the girl’ he’d expected monster slaying, adventures, and getting drinks in taverns.

Not to be best friends with criminals and trying desperately to win the unwinnable battle against his hormones.

Ah well, he was sure he’d survive this hell somehow…

“Tacos.” He decided, standing up and heading for the kitchen, “Tacos make everything better.”

XxX----XxX----XxX

“So, Ne- Licorice.” Pyrrha caught herself at the last moment, her hood drawn up and hair tucked away in a tight bun. The mute at her side paid her a look and she gestured to her baggy khakis and over-sized, worn looking hoodie, “How is my disguise?”

“Why ask me?” She typed out, “You’re the one that made it. And I suck at disguises.”

“Really?” She blinked, looking her up and down. She looked entirely different after a shower and, presumably, some make-up. Green eyes, black hair, and a black and white outfit with an admittedly cute skirt, “You look entirely different, though. How can you possibly suck at this?”

“My Semblance makes it easy for me.” She answered, running a finger down one of her twin-tails and trailing pink, then running it back up to erase it. “I don’t need to be good at putting that stuff together. I make what I want.”

“Ah, I see.” Semblances could be magic like that, sometimes. She certainly knew how much help they could be. “Well then,” she smiled, “in your less than adept opinion?”

“It looks fine to me.” Neo assured her, leading them down the street towards a bakery on a corner that was slightly less clean and shining than the boulevard’s corners were. The smaller woman must have seen her frown because her Scroll was suddenly in Pyrrha’s face, “What? Are the bakeries down here with the peasants not to your liking, m’lady?”

“T-They’re fine!” She flushed, looking at the rundown little, mom and pop looking place Neo had shown her to. 

It was glass-fronted, like her favorite one, but heavy iron bars ran behind the windows to keep them secure. Otherwise, it looked exactly the same as the one she favored, down to the seats pressed up against the windows. A little counter, stocked with fresh-baked treats, bread and the like, had been nestled into a corner, with double-doors that cut off the edge of the corner which lead to the kitchens.

“Do I need to order or-”

“Miss Licorice!” The matronly store-runner called, a smile splitting her wizened old face. “How are you, dear?”

“I’m well!” Neo’s Scroll said, its interface actually crackling out the words for her as they moved to the counter. “How are you? Any more trouble from those goons that smashed up your windows?”

“No, no, I’m fine.” The old woman assured her, smiling, “The store’s fine, too. Now, I don't know what that lawyer friend of yours said to ‘em, but insurance sent a check a week back. So much Lien, we could afford the new security. Cameras, bars, the whole nine yards.” 

“Was there trouble?” Pyrrha asked, one hand fingering her sword’s point, the weapon stowed on her back.

“Oh nothin’ like that.” The old woman shook her head, turning to Neo and whispering, “Is this the friend you mentioned?”

“Yeah.” The Scroll barked, “This is Pyrrha.” 

Wide-eyed, Pyrrha turned on the smirking gremlin and then to the old woman, sputtering. The old woman waved her off, though, “Oh, don’t fuss. Down here, we keep lips tight and the word under the table. But you don’t come into someone’s shop with someone and not name them.”

“They’ll suspect the cops.” Neo’s Scroll explained for her, “Or gang stuff. Stuff they’d want kept out of here.”

“Rest assured that I won’t breathe a word about you being here.” The old woman said quietly, offering a thin, bony but very steady hand for Pyrrha to shake. Hesitantly, Pyrrha did, the woman tugging her closer and resting her other hand on top of Pyrrha’s, “And, dead, please get better at hiding your weapons. You walked in here and three of these yokels started eyeing you.”

The restaurant was sparsely populated by only a dozen scattered patrons, sitting at the booths or loitering along the line of fresh-baked goods. But true enough, she caught at least four of them turning away. Like they’d been caught staring. And her jeans weren’t fitted enough for her to suspect that...

“I, uh…” She sighed and swallowed, turning to the old woman as she released her hand. “I didn’t mean to…”

“If you’re hiding who you are, get a weapon and leave it somewhere.” The woman advised her, “And then wear it open, not hidden on your back like you’re looking for trouble. Miss Licorice here can introduce you to some sellers, if you ask her to.”

“I’ll consider it…”

“It’s your decision, sweetheart.” The old woman smiled, turning to Neo and asking, “Now, then, your orders? And please, take a pack of sweet-rolls on the house, for troubling your friend. And,” she added when Neo started typing, “as thanks for helping out with the insurance company.”

“If you’re sure.”

“No, I’m Kathy.” The old woman grinned, “Now, your orders?”

Seemingly giving up on arguing with the woman’s charity, Neo placed their order - plus a handful of things Pyrrha let her get away with - and then the woman shuffled off to get it baked. While they waited, they found a booth far enough away from anyone to have privacy and fell into it, sitting across from each other.

“So…” Pyrrha started, chewing the inside of her cheek and drumming her fingers on the table, “How did you and Jaune meet, then? I know he… You know, to get into the, uh, you know, so-”

“You are the single most suspicious woman I have ever seen trying to be non suspicious.” Neo said, tapping the screen of her Scroll to cut her off and rolling her eyes at Pyrrha’s unamused expression. “He got help from us to get into school. Roman and I took a liking to him, and that was the end of it.”

“Really?” Pyrrha asked, “You just… Liked him?”

“Like.” Neo corrected, “Present tense. And yes, that was it.”

“That’s…” Pyrrha spent a solid second, searching for the right word, before she gave up and shrugged, “Normal. Very normal.”

“I’m a normal girl.” Neo shrugged, drumming her fingers on the Scroll a few times before, finally, asking, “You two are partners, right?”

“We are.” Pyrrha nodded, smiling demurely. She could already see where this was going...

“Has he mentioned any bullies or anything?” She asked, “I know he wouldn’t tell me if people were picking on him. He’d be afraid of what I’d do about it.”

Oh…

Well that wasn’t what she’d expected.

“Well, not really, no.” She smiled, “He had some trouble at first, with his low combat grade, but he’s been-”

Neo’s Scroll was in her face before she could finish the sentence, “Who.”

“I-It doesn’t matter, really, it’s been-” Glaring green eyes met hers, Neo’s lips pursed into a demanding pout, and Pyrrha sighed. Smiling gently she opted for a change of topic, “My, my, but you are protective of him. Aren’t you?”

“Yeah.” She nodded and then flushed when Pyrrha rested her chin on her palm and smiled, brows raised. “That’s not weird. He’s my friend.”

“Mhm, it’s normal enough, I suppose.” She nodded, smiling and enjoying her first real experience getting to tease someone. Even if the touch of heart-ache was still there, in the background, she could ignore it in favor of needling her new friend.

And how odd it was to realize she was Pyrrha’s new friend, too.

Regardless... 

“Being protective is quite normal of a friend.” She smiled, “Lounging moderately close to naked across their laps, though? Less so.”

The girl flushed brightly, and frowned, but the one perk of whatever condition rendered her mute meant she didn’t sputter and splutter embarrassedly. Instead, she gaped like a fish, for a long moment, and then scowled. She started signing, too, both hands moving in an excitable blur while Pyrrha watched amusedly.

“I can’t sign.” Pyrrha reminded her, the girl growling and yanking on her twin-tails angrily until she, finally, flipped both of her middle fingers up at Pyrrha. Chuckling, she stood and nodded towards the counter, where their packages had been set, “I believe it’s time we go, though. Our order is done.”

Pouting angrily, the girl stood and stomped to the counter to take the bags, and then out the door.

“She seems upset…”

“She’s pouting, because I was teasing her.” Pyrrha assured the woman, smiling warmly and waving as she turned to leave, “Have a good evening.”

It was very petty of her, to tease and prod Neo like this when the girl was clearly unsure of things. She should be bigger, help the girl and coach her into understanding herself. It would certainly be a service unto Jaune, who seemed flustered by her advances but just as confused. If not more so, even, judging from how he acted and reacted. What normal man would push a girl out of his lap, after all?

But, well…

Neo had swept in and stolen Jaune away from her, and whether that was a particularly fair characterization of events or not, Pyrrha felt entitled to it. At least since she was committing crimes to protect them.

What was a little needling compared to actual crime?

“So,” Pyrrha smiled, “Jaune tells me you are a grappler?” Neo only nodded, shooting her a cautious glance, and Pyrrha grinned just a bit wider, “I suppose you enjoy pressing yourself against him then, hm?”

If Neo could strangle her with her twin-tails, Pyrrha was sure she’d have done so right then and there. Instead, she sttled for yanking on them and snarling at the sky mutely.

XxX----XxX----XxX

Hirshja :

*innocent whistling*

Guardian Artemis :

So do I!

Dr Killinger :

She is, indeed, adorable.

Mister Cuddlesworth :

I will not state what it is, but I will state that it is not a bomb.

TooBad69 :

I’m kinda just writing the chapters as the scenes fall, on this fic. It’s a much looser format, but I find it’s nice. Easier, more comfortable. And less padding desperately for that word count.

Red Demon Eye :

…. *angry authorial plantoid noises*

Gapaot :

I like to think Roman would have, if he could, acted against her in canon too. Now, he has the opportunity. I could have run this story as I considered, with a Ruby protagonist instead of a Jaune one, and this element would remain unchanged.

Never Real :

He’s a bad guy, but that doesn’t make him a bad guy.


	10. The Package

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Official Supporters: 

The Impossible Muffin, Xager the Chaos King. 

Adeptus Commissioner, Private Wilger

Ze Nope Rope, Kaiser Snek, Snekiest Snek

Imperious

If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM one of us for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : https://discord.gg/2UZncAm

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I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.

Beta(s) : 

XxX----XxX----XxX

Everyone- 

I am being kicked out of my home by my room-mates and former co-workers, and leaving the Walkers as well. As such, the support offered may not actually get to me.

Supporters, please DM me for details on how to continue your pledge once I have left. I will do my best to DM you in return and keep you up to date.

May affect story length and update frequency.

I am sorry. This was completely unforeseen, and I apologize for the inconvenience.

XxX----XxX----XxX

“So…” Jaune smiled as they made their way through Beacon’s dimly lit halls, his pack on his shoulder and his partner at his side. When his partner didn’t say anything he cleared his throat and said, “So, uh, I think things went pretty well.”

“Oh you do?”

“Yes?”

“Hmmm… And why is that?” The Mistralian asked, cocking her head to the side and raising a brow curiously at him. Smiling coyly all the while she asked, quietly so that the few people in the halls so late on a Sunday night wouldn’t hear, “And why, pray tell, would you think that, Jaune?”

“I mean…” He shrugged, “You, uh, you didn’t kill each other?”

“That isn’t a very high standard…”

“Yeah, well, I’m starting pretty low rung with how I hoped things would go.” He chuckled, casting a wary glance around him for anyone paying any attention to them. Finding none he joked, quietly, “I was half expecting the VPD to show up for tacos, if I’m, you know, being… Completely honest.”

“Oh, ye of so little faith. How could you mistrust me so~?” He bumped his arm into hers and she let a bubble of mirth slip through her teasily, carefully curated smile. Shaking her head and bumping her arm into his in return. Her smile more natural, she answered more seriously, “I would say that… That all went as well as could be hoped for, I suppose.”

“Yeah.” Again, they hadn’t tried to kill each other, or anything… “So?”

“So…?” She gave him a sidelong look, and shook her head in confusion, “So what, Jaune?”

“So… What are you going to do now?” He asked quietly, frowning ever so slightly in worry. “Everything went well, but… You’re still you, you know?”

“What’s that mean?” The woman asked, coming to a stop and turning to him with both her brows in her hairline. 

“It means that you’re a good person, Pyr.” He smiled, laying a hand on her arm and urging her to continue on, before anyone started staring. As they walked, he went on, “And I know you want to do what you think is right. So, after meeting my friends, getting to know them… What’s right, Pyr?”

“I… Think it’s right not to say anything.” She sighed after a while, shaking her head when he once more beamed a smile at her. Smiling in spite of herself, she sighed, “For now, I’ll leave them be. I swear it formally. At least, so long as their crimes remain petty, I will not act against them, even if I also will not act for them. Or in their defence. I hope you understand…”

“I do, yeah.” He’d have loved to have her on his side to do Roman’s favor, but if he couldn’t get that… Well, this was better than nothing. Or, well, better than something that was bad. “I’m just happy everyone’s-”

“Jaune-”

“HERE’S NORA!” He heard just as something very dense slashed into him, great,. Muscled arms closing around him in a crushing, vicelike hug. Wheezing, he was lifted into the air off his feet by the bubbly berserker and then shaken gently, “Ohh, it’s great to see you, Fearless Leader~! I missed you so much~!”

“Nora…” He gasped, “Ribs… Breaking… Spine… Crumpling…”

“I can’t hear you over the sound of this hug!” Nora laughed, squeezing him one last, Aura crackling, time before she let him go. He hit the ground and stumbled forward, a Mistralian hand snapping out to catch him before he could fall. When he turned around, Nora was beaming, hands on her hips and head back, “See? Just fine!”

“I think you bruised a rib…”

“Only one?” She blinked, then cocked her head to the side, “Could’a sworn I heard two of ‘em pop… Weird.”

“New cafeteria lady.” Ren sighed as he joined them, laying a hand on the bright, energetic brawler’s shoulder and then sighing again. “She didn’t know about the unofficial rule regarding Nora and anything with sugar or caffeine in it.”

“Oh no…”

“I had an espresso!” The girl smiled, “It was good! Renny says I can’t have any more, though…”

“Nora, you spent four hours trying to taste blue.”

“Blue is a good color!” She defended breezily, waving a hand in front of her like she could fan away the very idea that trying to taste blue was silly. Moving on she asked, “So, what did you two young’uns get up to over the weekend~?”

“Young’uns?” Jaune murmured, “We’re basically the same age…”

“I looked it up!” She laughed, “I am two months older than you!”

“That’s not a lot…”

“It is enough!” The over-sugared woman argued loudly, pointing one finger right in Jaune’s face. Beaming, she went on, “A few inches can determine life and death! Will the grenade kill the Grimm or only aggravate it? Will your shot hit, or land short? Are you old enough to see the new Spruce Willis movie?!”

“Nora, what’s the point?”

“The point is obvious, Fearless Leader!” Nora smiled widely, exuding a kind of confidence he honestly kind of envied. He’d come a long way since starting Beacon, under Pyrrha and Neo’s influence, but Nora was… Well, Nora. “Don’t you see it, Jauney? My Fearless Leader can’t be missing it!”

“Yeah, well, sorry to disappoint.” He shrugged, “I don’t see the point…”

“Small differences make big changes!” Nora explained impatiently, “A few months is small, but it makes a big difference!”

“Nora, you don’t even actually know your birthday.” Ren chided her gently, ignoring her plaintive whine of ‘Reeeeen’ and stepping by her, grabbing an arm to drag them along. Quietly, he went on, “And besides, a few months isn’t enough of a difference anyway, so you shouldn’t rub it in.”

“But-”

“Argue, and you won’t get pancakes for breakfast tomorrow.” Ren warned her thinly, turning a challenging look on the young woman until she balked, pouted and nodded. Smiling, he pulled her in for a one-armed hug and then nudged her on, ahead of them. “If you go on, then you can get the first shower.”

“Oh!” She bounced ahead, calling back, “That’s a good idea~!”

Cheering, she shot away, bounding around and past other students and even teachers who shouted after her for running in the hall. No one tried to actually stop her, though. There wasn’t much point, after all, and he wouldn’t be surprised if everyone on the staff had been warned about Nora being caffeinated and told to just ignore it for the most part. Unless, presumably, she did something actually bad.

Which, luckily, it seemed she hadn’t.

He did not want to serve detentions with Goodwitch for ‘leadership exercises’ again.

“So,” Ren started, falling in on his other side as they made their way to the dorm, “did you two have a good weekend?”

“I thought it went wonderfully.” Pyrrha’s smile was honest as she launched into a story about Roman’s delicious tacos, and most of the story - the bits not specific to Roman, at least - of how he’d learned to be such a good cook. “I suppose it makes sense that wanderers, even of a, well, less honorable persuasion, would value highly the skills needed to prepare a good meal on the road.”

“It’s how I learned.” Ren murmured with a shrug, sighing when Pyrrha gave him a curious look. She grimaced and he waved her off, smiling, “It’s fine, Pyrrah, it’s just… Not really something I like remembering.”

“If you don’t wish to talk about it…”

“Yeah.” Jaune added quietly, more than a little sympathetic to the man’s plight even if he was sure he was projecting a little bit. “You’re allowed to, you know, keep some secrets. If you don't want other people to know, I mean. We won't push you.”

“It’s fine.” Ren shrugged, explaining in brief, “We were orphaned when we were kids. A bandit group took us in, trained us a little bit, taught me how to cook when they realized I wasn’t as brawny and headstrong as Nora was. Is. We left before they took either of us out on raids, though, so… No need to be worried about that.”

“We wouldn’t be in any event.” Pyrrha assured him quietly, though Jaune had a feeling she was speaking as much to him as to Ren. “All of us have things in our past we wish left behind us. You have your time wandering, I have my looming prestige and Jaune… Well, Jaune.”

“Gee, thanks, Pyr.” He groused jokingly, shoving his elbow into her ribs and rolling his eyes as she deftly slipped away. Shaking his head he sighed as they stepped around a corner into the junction between the student dorms and the academy proper, where lessons were held. Slowing to a stop he sighed and grimaced, “Right, just about forgot…”

“Forgot what?”

“Remember that assignment we were supposed to turn in on Friday, for Oobleck?” Pyrrha nodded and he frowned and laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. “I, uh, might have forgotten to actually do the turning in part of that.”

“Jaune…”

“I know, I know.” He sighed, waving his partner off while Ren watched, unamused in the extreme. “Just… Go on without me, okay? Doctor Oobleck always leaves his office open, so… I’ll just pop by and drop it off, no trouble.”

“Do you want me to come with?” Pyrrha asked, one brow raised in worry and with a sort of bemused and resigned kind of amusement that played across her lips, “I certainly won’t mind if you do.”

“Nah, nah, it’s fine.” He waved her off, smiling as he turned to leave. “Just gotta drop it off and head back here. It’s not like I’m going to run into any Grimm on the way or anything. Go on ahead, get unpacked, I’ll be there in like, fifteen minutes.”

“If you’re sure…”

“Yeah, I’m sure, it’s no biggie.” He nodded, smiling confidently and taking another step to leave. Tossing them a faux salute he smiled, “Shoot me a message and I’ll hit up the cafeteria for some pizzas, too, if you all want.”

His partner hummed at his words and he had the very distinct impression she suspected him of something. Which… Was kind of fair, since he was doing something other than turning in his homework, even if he was being honest about needing to at all. It was just a convenient excuse to do what he really needed to do right now. He was sure Pyrrha wouldn’t appreciate it, though. 

What he needed to do, and why, or the technicality that meant he wasn’t actually lying.

After a moment, though, she simply smiled and nodded, “Pizza sounds grand. I’ll speak to Nora and send a list along, if you aren’t returned before we can reign her in.”

“Yeah.” He smiled, waving as she turned to leave with a curious looking Ren beside her. Under his breath he murmured, “Well, that was a bit of a thing…”

With the sun nearly gone from the sky, the hallways that spider-webbed between the lecture halls, practice arenas and study halls were mostly empty. A few students trailed by, coming from study sessions or detentions, and a couple of teachers wandered by as well. No one paid him any mind, though. He was just another student in the bunch, presumed to be doing whatever it was that he was supposed to be doing. And, of course, nothing but what he was supposed to be doing.

Just like Roman had taught him…

Slipping into Oobleck’s classroom he found it empty, quiet, but well-lit. The doctor was well known to allow students free access to his classroom over weekends, for an additional study hall or to use the resources he kept there. And, of course, so students could turn in late projects if they needed to. Doctor Oobleck didn’t encourage that, of course, but he’d always made it clear that if a student fell behind and worked to catch up, he would allow it.

And Jaune honestly felt kind of bad for using it to smuggle in a message from Roman. Even if he was sure it was for a very, very good reason.

Setting his bag on the floor he knelt and fished out his assignment and, shooting a wary look to the door, the package. The first he simply laid on the desk with a note explaining that he’d just forgotten to turn it in. It would dock him a few points, but he was sure he’d survive, and his honesty there would distract from the second thing he was doing. Taking the package, he set it on his assignment, right over the note he’d written.

Normally, he’d be worried about that getting him caught, but… “No one would think I’m dumb enough to out myself like that. Which makes it perfect.”

Leaving it there he tugged his pack back on and turned to leave, slipping out the door with as calm an expression as he could manage. Resisting the urge to look around like he’d done anything wrong - Which he hadn’t! - he turned to head back the way he’d come.

“Mister Arc.” Ozpin smiled, standing by the door and leaning on his cane between them. Smiling pleasantly, he asked, “Turning in something?”

“Y-Yeah.” He blinked and cleared his throat, anxiously rubbing the back of his neck. “I forgot to turn in an assignment on Friday, before I went into town. But, uh, Doctor Oobleck doesn’t mind late turn-ins, so… Just popped in. Left him a note explaining that it was late, and that I forgot.”

“Oh?” The Headmaster smiled the same way Pyrrha sometimes did. Diplomatic, manicured and, ultimately, fake. Still, Jaune didn’t say anything as he went on, “Very good of you, owning up to your mistake even though you know it will hurt you. The signs of a good, upstanding young man.”

“Thanks, Sir.” He smiled and then, to cover his tracks, added, “I left it with a package that was on his desk holding it down.”

“Oh?” Ozpin blinked, one brow raising, “He has a package?”

“Yeah.” Jaune nodded, heart hammering in his chest even as he kept his face flat and neutral. As naturally as could be, he said, “I saw it sitting there and figured it could hold it down. A paper-weight, so it doesn’t blow away. I, uh, didn’t want it to get late and not count towards my grade.”

“Yes, I imagine having something like that held against you would be very troublesome indeed.” Ozpin nodded, stepping by him and reaching for the door. Pushing it open he smiled, “I’ll get both to him personally for you.”

“Really?”

“Of course.” Ozpin nodded, “I’m on my way to a meeting with him, after all. And your package sounds important.”

“Y-Yeah.” He nodded, knowing Ozpin had to mean that his package was the homework. Pointing out again that the box wasn’t from him would only make it look like he was worried about it. Thankfully, his Scroll chose that moment to chime and he tugged it out, flicking it open and sighing dramatically, “Nora wants pizza… I hope the cafeteria has enough, I don’t feel like dealing with her if they don’t.”

“Let them know I said to make a few if they’re low.” ozpin said seriously, turning a grave look on him and adding, “Mister Blue can make them himself if needs be. He’s the one that saw fit to caffeinate her after all, so he can be the one that has to deal with the fallout of his mistakes.”

“Makes sense.” It was his fault, after all, even if it sounded like it had been an honest, simple mistake. Regardless, he turned to leave and waved a goodbye, “Goodnight, Headmaster. Take care!”

“You too, Mister Arc.” Ozpin smiled, “Enjoy your evening.”

Jaune had to fight the urge to speed up as he walked away, the feeling of a pair of eyes on his back the whole way. Ozpin couldn’t know about his involvement with the package, though. Or where it had come from, for that matter. Or else surely he’d have said something about it. 

Right?

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Guardian Artemis :

As AMAZING as that would be, I feel like Neo’s style in this, where she’s publicly Wanted, would be a bit too obvious for ol’ Ozpin to miss.

Mister Cuddlesworth :

Glad you like it!

Elderfire :

Neo.exe is probably going to crash a lot when and if she does.

Dr Killinger :

At least in this version of canon, Pyrrha was less ‘in love’ and more ‘had a crush’ on Jaune. So, her reaction is a bit more muted. Further, Jaune was honest and up front about it with her, and she is the type to respect honesty and forthrightness. 

Red Demon Eye :

Lol, glad you enjoyed the chapter.

Azrael Saint :

Nor did I! It was more fun than I imagined.

Nine Yetis :

Thank for cookie!


	11. The Start of the Plan

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Official Supporters: 

Fanatical Fucking Reader, ScrubLord Yoda

Adeptus, Private Wilger

Commissioner, Gib, Espa Cole

Settled Reader, Xager the Chaos King

If you want to be on the Supporter list, PM me for details or join our private server for details. Hope you enjoy reading my stories, please leave me a comment to let me know if you did, or where I can improve. Link here, where able to be seen : https://discord.gg/2UZncAm

Second link here, remove ( and ) and it SHOULD work : D(i)scord(.)gg(slash)kfhkfUb

I have a kofi account now, too, under this name for those interested.

Beta(s) : 

XxX----XxX----XxX

“Ah, Headmaster.” Bart smiled warmly as his door cracked open for Ozpin, the man standing in it and nodding a polite greeting. It was already rather late, the lights of the dorm hall had even dimmed and the man was clearly dressed for bed in loose fitting, holey pajamas, but he still stood ramrod straight. “It’s late, I wasn’t expecting you, Sir.”

“I know, and you have my sincere apologies for bothering you so late, Doctor.” Ozpin smiled politely, holding out the little box he’d taken from the man’s desk and the two papers that had come with it. “From Mister Arc.”

“Oh?” The wiry man’s brow rose curiously as he took the box and the papers, scanning over the latter quickly. “A homework assignment, and a short note explaining it was late. And an… Open, unlabelled box?”

“It was sealed when I collected it.” He answered quietly, “I… Wanted to make sure that it was safe, and not some manner of trap.”

“Hm.” Doctor Oobleck hummed, giving him a concerned once-over and grunting, “Risky to do that.”

“Not,” Ozpin smiled warmly, flaring green Aura all along his body, “for me.”

“Anyone else saying that, I’d call them arrogant. You, though…” The good doctor hummed again and turned, heading into his quarters but leaving the door open. 

A clear invitation, and one Ozpin took, slipping into the small, somehow neat and cluttered living room. The couch had been pushed forward under the television to make room for a wholly out of place desk made of glass and metal that did not match with the warm wooden furniture Beacon had provided the man. Papers, books, and scrolls - of the paper variety - covered the couch, desk and parts of the floor as well in a wild mess of paper weights, pens and strewn work.

And yet everything was ordered, somehow, even with the inherent chaos of it all. A brief once-over here showed a mass of work pertaining to history. Another, assignments for the coming weeks. And a third was a small collection of essays and reports about the White Fang and the Faunus, two groups of intense interest to the eccentric, brilliant historian.

And, beyond that little area that looked like a bomb had gone off, the rest of the room was kept in perfect order. A small dining table was clean, with a single table for it, and the floors were spotless.

“Have you already looked through the box?” Oobleck asked, sitting at the table and opening the box.

“No.” He answered, standing at the other end of the table and watching the man quietly. “Once I was sure there were no explosives or poisons in it, as unlikely as that was to come from Mister Arc, I came to deliver it.”

“Hm.” The doctor hummed, picking up a little stack of what looked from behind like photos and going still. “You’re certain Mister Arc delivered this to my office?”

“Yes.” Ozpin nodded, crossing the room to look over his shoulder and asking, curiously and concernedly, “Why?”

Instead of answering, Oobleck simply splayed the pictures out across the table. There were about a dozen of them, and they were a mix of an abandoned, desolate city-scape and an underground railway of sorts. White Fang milled about in the images, along with crates of Dust and a modern, ready train they were seemingly preparing for… Something. The last picture was a selfie, of all things, of a young woman with multi-colored hair and a wide, mischievous smirk. One hand held the Scroll, of course, but the other was contorted in a shape Ozpin just barely recognized.

“Is that…”

“Sign language.” Ozpin nodded, “It means ‘Read’.”

“There is a letter.” Oobleck noted quietly, picking it up and reading aloud, “Mountain Glenn. Watch out. Burn everything. T&P Industries.”

“Torchwick and Politan.” Ozpin surmised, giving the man a long look and then sighing quietly. Shaking his head, Ozpin gathered up the pictures and the letter and held them for a moment. Then, he withdrew the last picture, of Neo Politan herself, and set it aside. Tapping it, he explained, “Evidence of their help, if we need it.”

“Will it be enough?”

“At least for her sake, it will be, even if I have to make it so personally.” And if Roman was the kind of man Ozpin had always suspected, that would be more than enough of an offer. With the smallest of glances, the letter and pictures turned to sand, scattering across the table as he turned to Oobleck. “Missions are upcoming for the students, aren’t they?”

“They are, yes.”

“Would I be remiss in asking you to help me look into this, then?” He asked quietly, smiling when the good doctor simply smiled and nodded. He was always ready to solve a mystery, after all, and had a particular interest in the Fang. Idly, he wondered if that was why Roman had sent it to him specifically… “I will select a promising team, then, when the time comes. But be wary out there, Doctor. Criminals aren’t to be trusted.”

“I know, Headmaster.” The Doctor nodded, standing as he turned to leave. “Good night.”

“Good hunting.” Ozpin returned, shooting a wry smile over his shoulder and nodding.

Without another word, Ozpin took his leave and turned for his own quarters. It was rather late by now, after all. And he had an assembly to get a speech prepared for tomorrow, after today’s revelations.

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“Being a Huntsman or a Huntress is a dangerous job. One fraught with excitement, risk and adventure, and that will take you to places you otherwise might never have gone. Or even, perhaps, known about at all.” Ozpin continued, leaning on his cane and slowly turning a long, contemplative look out over Jaune and the other students. 

For a moment, it felt like the old man’s gaze lingered on him, eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly.

“That is the nature of our job. Our chosen, or perhaps for some merely accepted, duty.” The Headmaster continued before Jaune could be sure that the Headmaster could even really see him. Smiling, he leaned back and spun his cane, letting it lay up his chest and across one of his shoulders, pointing at a hanging screen that sprung to life. “This short, informative video, courtesy of the Headmistress, will break down the mission assignments that will become available to all of you tomorrow. You must undertake one to be admitted into the next semester unless you have a viable exemption.”

“I can’t believe they’re already sending us out on missions.” Pyrrha murmured beside him while the video played, relaying the exact same information that was already on their Scrolls in a neat file labelled ‘missions assignment tutorials’. Ignoring the video, Pyrrha murmured, “They are supervised, of course, but… Still.”

“Yeah...” Jaune nodded, flicking while Nora tried to bounce out of her seat and Ren tried… Mostly successfully to restrain her. “Seems kinda fast, to me, but… I mean, I can’t say I’m not excited to get out there and really help people. Like, actual people. With real problems that we can solve.”

“We can’t solve their problems.” Nora, of all people, said as she settled in beside him and Ren wrapped an arm around her waist. It was mostly to keep her still, he knew, but Nora preened and leaned into it regardless. Quietly, she went on, “We can help them, but… I mean, I can only blow up specific kinds o’ problems, ya know?”

“At least,” Ren added, “without adding a lot more.”

“Yeah.” Nora smiled, energy boiling over into her knee absently bouncing while she talked. “I do smashing and blasting real good. But, uh… Not so good at people problems, really.”

“Neither, ah, am I…” Pyrrha laughed, “Unless I have a script, it’s hard for me to handle anything super involved like that. My agent always did it for me.”

“Me either.” Ren added, nodding quietly and murmuring low enough it was almost hard to hear. “We weren’t exactly well socialized after… Well, we didn’t have an agent but we still didn’t get a lot of practice.”

“Don’t worry about any of that, you guys.” He laughed, patting both women on the back and turning a wide, warm smile on Ren at the end of the bench. “We’ll pick something that doesn’t get into anything more than ‘here be monsters, please smash’. I, uh, don’t think anything more advanced is up our alley anyway, if you know what I mean.”

“Grimm?”

“Grimm.” He nodded at Nora’s hopeful smile, adding quickly, “And…. Maybe you can pack some of those extra volatiles you were working on. Really make a day of it, you know?”

“Jaune I don’t think-”

“Oh my Dust can I?!” She squealed, rocketing up before he or Ren could catch her. Unaware of the hundreds of eyes on her, she bounced excitedly and clapped, grinning ear to ear while Ren shot glares at anyone and everyone eyeing her untowardly. Nervous, Jaune only chuckled and nodded and the girl laughed excitedly, “Oh my Dust, I-I’ve wanted to try those out for weeks! I’ll make a few more and-”

“Miss. Valkyrie.” 

“Uh oh…” Nora murmured, turning and waving meekly at the crop-wielding Headmistress. “Hi, Miss Goodwitch. I was yelling, wasn’t I?”

“Yes, you were.” The woman called back with a sigh, “I trust you know the routine by now?”

“Yep.” She nodded, “Tomorrow at two?”

“Two thirty.” The Headmistress corrected, “I have a meeting that will have me busy at two. Apologies.”

“I’ll be there.” Nora nodded, taking her seat and smiling meekly at Ren. “Sorry, Renny. I got super duper excited.”

“It’s fine.” The young, almost saintly patient man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and then chuckling. Giving her a small smile, the man promised, “I’ll help you get your grenades ready in time, detention or not. And we’ll make sure to grab a mission with lots of space and little Grimm that will let you test them out really well.”

“Thank you, Renny.” After a moment’s hesitation, as the presentation ended and everyone stood to leave, she leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to the man's cheek. He blinked and gaped in surprise, but she was up and moving before he could say anything about it, shouting over her shoulder, “It’s taco night! C’mon!”

“Did she just…?”

“Maybe? I dunno. Anyway, come on, Casanova.” Jaune chuckled, tugging the man to his feet and throwing an arm around his shoulders. “You can ask her over tacos.”

Ren only really snorted at that, following the two of them as they pushed through the milling, excited crowd towards the doors. The halls were similarly packed with the bulk of every student from every year of Beacon, but they pushed their way through anyway, even if they couldn’t really talk to each other really. The mass of voices was just too much and Jaune could even pick out Faunus students with sensitive ears hustling to get out of the mass press.

He didn’t envy them for that…

In the end, though, they got to the cafeteria without any trouble. And, luckily, only the first year was being served at the time, so it was a lot quieter. The peace and quiet didn’t lead to Ren asking Nora about the kiss, though. Instead, after a moment, Jaune smirked.

“So,” he said, setting his taco down and smiling, “Nora, what was up with that kiss?”

“Ummmm…”

“I hate you, Jaune.” Ren sighed, pressing his face into the palm of his hands as Jaune stood and gave Pyrrha a look and then a nod for her to follow. Looking between the two, Ren asked, anxiously, “W-Where do you think you’re going?”

“Somewhere else, of course.” Pyrrha smiled demurely, raising one brow coyly. “So that Nora can explain in private the kiss she gave you. In front of the entire student body no less. Oh, and let us know if you need us to head out so you can… Have private time together.”

“Pyrrha!”

“P-P-P-Pyrrhaaaa!” The Valkyrie whined, standing so suddenly her bench shot back like a rocket, nearly decapitating an unfortunate team on their way to a seat. “I-I- You can’t just- I’ll- Aggh!”

“I think we should beat a fast retreat…” Pyrrha murmured quietly, grabbing his forearm and dragging him towards the door. “Before she decides to exact revenge instead of stuttering confusedly.”

“Jaaaaune!”

“Too late…”

Laughing, Jaune turned around and took off as fast as he dared run in Beacon, shouting over his shoulder, “Your Fearless Leader orders you to sort this out!”

His answer was a Mach Twenty burrito that hurtled past his head and smacked into the wall by the door hard enough to splatter him in bean and beef viscera. Pyrrha had to duck, too, as a chicken taco soared by her head and splattered on the wall a lot more weakly. Turning, he saw Ren winding up another throw.

Jaune Arc sped up.

XxX----XxX----XxX

Roman heard her far before he saw her, and knew that Cinder was across town with her little cadre of cretins, but looked toward the source of the sound anyway. Admittedly, for very different reasons, but still. Neo, dressed in her leotard and little else with Jaune’s favorite blanket wrapped around her like a cloak - which was adorable, frankly - and a brow cocked curiously.

“Nothing.” He sighed, pushing the dining chair back and laying his feet up on the table while his hand slipped his Scroll into a pocket. “Just work.”

“Work?” She signed, taking a seat of her own, feet resting on the seat and knees tucked into her chest. With one hand, she tucked her blanket around her, signing with the other. “What work? You always tell me about jobs.”

“Not always.” He lied, laughing and then sighing when Neo’s eyes narrowed knowingly. Grimacing, he shrugged, “Look, I just… Thought you wouldn’t wanna be involved ‘cuz of the kid.”

“What about Jaune?”

“Nothing!” He lied a bit more successfully, laughing and shaking his head. Feeling like shit for it but with a poker face that even she couldn’t see through, he reclined, hands on the back of his head comfortably, “I wouldn’t get Arc involved in our shit, you know that. But, well, I needed something delivered. So I bribed a student to drop it off, to try to… Well.”

“The password is Cinder’s Kinda Tiny Tits.”

“Still love that password…” And there was no way that her cronies would think of somethin that stupid as a secret password for them.

“Same.” She smiled, “Now explain.”

“I needed someone to smuggle something into Beacon for me, for our work.” He answered simply, bobbing his head in the vague direction of “So, like I said, I hired some rando student that needed a bit of Lien to get by to take it in. Did the usual thing, so I was watching for the ‘open’ signal on my Scroll.”

“So?”

“So, hopefully, our little Red Woman problem has a solution.” In the pipeline, at least, and even if it wouldn’t be enough to help him. “Should be that Old Oz up in his ivory tower knows to check out Glenn. Hopefully, that means that the shit won’t go down. Just hope the old bastard sends the right team…”

“Which would be?”

“Fuck me, I don’t know.” He laughed, if only to ward off the worst of the grim situation the two of them were both trapped in. “But hopefully someone that can put a stop to it. If not, he oughta be able to two and two and predict where the trains used to run to. He clears it out, he can at least prevent the worst of the shit.”

“Yeah. There’s still going to be a panic, but…”

“But not a bloodbath. Yeah.” Not like Cinder wanted, at least, and hopefully not at all if the Headmaster did his job and sent a good team. Giving the young woman a look he promised for definitely not the first time. “I’m going to get us out of this, Neo. Whatever it takes, we… We can find a way out.”

“I know.” She smiled warmly at him, resting her chin on her knees. “I believe in you. If anyone can figure out a way to get out of this mess, it’s the best escape artist and master thief Vale has ever seen.”

“Hey now, don’t sell yourself short.” Or him too high, for that matter. Still, she needed his confidence or she’d buckle. Arc was shaping up to be a good replacement for him, more or less, but he needed a bit more work and time before Roman could rely on him. Time that was fast running out. Still... “You’re much better at escaping than I am. And most of my brilliant plans come down to that, end o’ the day.”

“A lovely assistant for the master thief?” She asked playfully, leaning into an old game of theirs. He smiled and bowed his head and she returned it, unfolding to curtsy elegantly, somehow without ever leaving her seat. Standing, then, she smiled, “Well, your lovely assistant is off to bed. We have a lot to do out in Mountain Glenn, whether the old man steps in there or not.”

“Yeah.” He sighed, shrugging and standing as well, “Go get you a cat nap. I’ll go grab us dinner.”

She only waved as she walked off and collapsed on the couch, curling up in a little fort of blankets and pillows. Smiling, Roman walked by her and her hand snapped out to tap him, his clothes and hair roiling like rolling shards of glass as a temporary illusion was laced over him to let him get out without any risk of prying eyes.

Usually, that was unnecessary. Now, though, there was always a chance that Cinder was watching them somehow. And if she didn’t trust him enough to let him in on everything then he didn’t want her knowing anything she didn’t need to know. Two could play that little game of hers.

XxX----XxX----XxX

Everyone (guest) :

I’m afraid I can’t. I do my very best, but I have a life, and with recent changes that have occurred in my life - read the last chapter’s AN - I don’t have nearly as much time to work on these. I have a Supporter page if you want to help remedy it but until such a time as that these are free. I do what I can, when I can.

Azrael Saint :

Aaaalways watching. Aaaalways watching.

Nine Yetis :

Thanks for your sympathies, and glad you enjoyed the chapter.


End file.
